Kiev Mayor Vasily Klitschko has teamed up with the editors of List of News directly from Kiev, which has been trying unsuccessfully to conquer the Russian army for several weeks.
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Vladimir Putin’s plan to raise the Russian flag over the city will not work, according to Klitschko. “We are ready to die, but not to surrender to Russian soldiers,” he said in an interview. And it calls on Western states to continue to supply arms to Ukraine and to boycott trade with Russia.
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He also appreciates the Czech aid and the visit of the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. And in the interview he also talks about his personal relationship with the Czech Republic. “As a child, I spent five years in the Czech Republic and I had a lot of friends there. I love Prague, I love the Czech Republic, it is partly also my home, “says Kličko.
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What is the situation in Kiev today after almost a month of Russian aggression against Ukraine?
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This morning, sirens sounded again and we faced another missile attack on Kyiv. A few buildings were destroyed. One person has died, two people are in critical condition, others are injured. Many people were in hiding, thank God.
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In the media, we see terror directed at civilians by the Russian army. What is the mood of the Kievans after weeks of fighting?
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They do not panic, they are angry and motivated at the same time. They don’t want to leave. Let me give you an example: yesterday I went to see a residential house destroyed by a Russian rocket, a man in his sixties came up to me and asked me what to do if he had nowhere to live. I told him that he and his family could evacuate him to the west of Ukraine, where he was safer, or to shelters underground. But he answered me, Please give me weapons, I am ready to fight and defend my city. This is the mood that prevails in Kiev.
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This war is not directed against military forces. We have examples from Kharkov or Mariupol of abducting, killing civilians, even women and children, destroying civilian buildings and entire Kiev suburbs where families live. People here have the motivation to answer and defend our city and country.
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We see many humanitarian activities around Ukraine around the world. Is it possible to deliver the help to you? Do you have water, food, electricity? What would you need in this regard?
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We now have the city under control, it is my responsibility to provide these services to the Kievans. We have electricity, we have heat, water and we have a reserve for a while. For example, the city of Chernohiv is only 150 kilometers from us and as a result of the fighting they have no water, food or electricity. So we have to prepare for all scenarios. That is why we very much appreciate humanitarian aid from the Czech Republic, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Even for the fact that many Ukrainians have found safety in the Czech Republic. In these difficult times, we see who our real friends are.
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How long do you have reserves?
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We do not know how long the war and occupation will last. We are ready to fight, to defend our country, but please do not forget that we are not only defending our country, but also the values we have in common throughout the European continent, such as human rights or freedom of speech. Now Russia wants to occupy Ukraine in order to re-expand its empire, but we also hear that it wants to restore the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union, of which you, as Czechoslovakia, were a part.
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Where will the Russian Empire stop? In Luhansk, Donetsk, Poland or the Czech Republic? It’s a perverted vision. That is why I say that we are not fighting for ourselves, but for everyone on this continent. Ukraine is the largest country. If someone in the Czech Republic thought it didn’t concern them, they would be wrong. Ukraine’s instability will bring instability to the entire European region.
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Next week will be a NATO-EU summit, what should be the report for world politicians in Brussels?
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In general, we need the support of Ukraine. We need political support. We must put pressure on the Russian Federation. Go to the demonstrations, block the Russian embassies.
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Interview with Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko.
Stop economic communication with Russia. Every euro that comes from the European Union, Russia invests not in its economy, not in its people, but in its army. And now everyone sees the result in Ukraine. We Ukrainians are a peaceful nation, we have never been aggressive towards anyone. What Russia says about us is propaganda. Stop Russian television and their media. These are also weapons.
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Russian propaganda says it is liberating Ukraine.
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But the reason for this war is only that we have decided to be part of a European family, like the Czechia, like Slovakia, like Poland. We want to have the same standard of living and be a democratic country, a European country.
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And what specific would you need in Kiev?
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We need high-lift fire ladders to save people in high-rise buildings. So that firefighters can get there and put them out. We need technical support, special smoke masks. We need humanitarian aid.
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How do Kiev hospitals handle the situation?
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Kiev hospitals are still being prepared, there are currently no fighting in the city. The hospitals are not full and I hope they won’t. I am grateful for our soldiers because they stand against one of the strongest armies in the world and they are doing great. Russia’s plan was to be in Kiev three weeks ago. Three weeks ago, they wanted to raise their flag here. Our soldiers destroyed all Russian plans.
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A huge wave of patriotism has arisen, a will to defend our city, which is why we have thwarted all their plans. But if the Russians come to the city, every street, every building will be a barricade. We must be ready to provide medical support and supplies in a short time doctors because I believe there will be a lot of injured people.
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Do you think that Vladimir Putin still has not given up his plan to rule Kyiv, even though his war does not seem to be going according to plan?
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Putin’s plan is still the same, we see how great forces are pushing Kyiv, but as the mayor of Kiev, as a representative of our community, I say to everyone in the world: This plan will never come true. We are ready to die, but not to surrender to Russian soldiers. We are at home here. We defend our city, our families and our future. Our future as a democratic country, part of the European Union.
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Czech Prime Minister Fiala visited Kyiv two days ago. How important was this gesture to the people of Kiev?
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We appreciate it very, very much. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It was a very important signal to Ukrainian society, to our people, to the European Union. Unity is the key. The key is to bring peace to our country. Unity is the key to stopping the war.
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We also noted the disappointment of Ukrainian leaders over the more cautious reactions of the West. How do you perceive the latest steps of the United States, which President Biden is now preparing, military and other support to Ukraine worth billions of dollars. Is it enough?
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It’s not enough, it’s never enough. We can say that was enough when the war ended. It is not enough when NATO cannot close the skies above our heads. But we say: Please give us modern weapons. Give us the Stingers. Let’s close the sky ourselves. We are ready to fight, but we need the help of our friends.
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You are a boxer, a fighter. I guess this is the hardest fight of your life.
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I fight like an athlete. Fighting as a sport has rules. War has no rules. You see how many children die, how many women die. No rules. So you can’t compare sport and war. It’s completely different.
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Do you have a message that you would like to pass on to Czech readers?
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Once again: unity is the key. If someone thinks that war is far away, it is not. This war affects everyone. And your personal activity is the key to bringing freedom to Ukraine and Europe. As a child, I spent five years in the Czech Republic and had a lot of friends there. I love Prague, I love the Czech Republic, it is partly also my home. So I send my heartfelt greetings from Kiev to the Czech Republic, we really appreciate your help. Stay with us, stay with Ukraine. Thanks.
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