Vitali Klitschko Takes Swipes at Zelensky's War Handling
In an unusual show of criticism, Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of blunders related to Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia. During an interview with the Swiss news portal "20 Minuten," Klitschko admitted that people are questioning why they were not better prepared for the war and why Zelensky denied its inevitability.
Klitschko felt that there was too much misinformation circulating, which did not align with reality. He demanded more honesty about Ukraine's true situation in its battle against Russia's aggression. Klitschko further underscored that Zelensky is now paying for these oversights. "You can't euphorically lie to your people and partners forever," Klitschko stressed.
In a surprising move, the former world boxing champion also expressed his support for Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, Valery Salushnyi, who recently announced a standstill in the war. Salushnyi's remark had caused Zelensky some annoyance. Klitschko defended Salushnyi, stating, "He told the truth. Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth, but ultimately, he is responsible."
However, Klitschko urged against using the turbulent time to play political games. He emphasized that competing factions should avoid making Kyiv a battleground for their ideologies. Despite these tensions, Klitschko reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Zelensky until the conflict's conclusion.
Klitschko also expressed gratitude to Germany for providing air defense systems. Nevertheless, he criticized Berlin for not providing more robust weaponry, like the long-range Taurus cruise missiles. Klitschko deemed Germany's reluctance regarding weapons delivery as an unwarranted reliance on excuses.
Background Information:
Vitali Klitschko's criticism covers a range of issues, including the appointment of Tymur Tkachenko as a military administrator without a military background. Klitschko alleges that Tkachenko prevents economic activities, like repairing infrastructure, amidst the war. Another point of contention is Zelensky's alleged misuse of martial law powers, as the military administration is regarded as diverting its attention from crucial war-related tasks.
In addition, Klitschko claims that political scheming within Zelensky's inner circle is destabilizing the management of the city and potentially adversely affecting essential services. While Zelensky has not directly responded to these specific accusations, the tensions between him and Klitschko reflect broader internal political strife in Ukraine.
Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
