Kyiv Mayor Klitschko: Conflict with Russia to end in 2 months with painful compromises

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko suggested that the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine could end within "a month or two."

He struggled to specify the conditions for the conclusion of the conflict, but predicted that they would be difficult to call positive for Ukraine.

"The so-called compromise could be very painful for every Ukrainian," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. 

Klitschko Predicts Elections with "Fight to the Death"

According to Klitschko, elections will be held after the conflict ends, potentially leading to a "fight to the death," with all political forces participating with "roughly the same slogans."

"I am very afraid that there could be unrest in this regard, and God forbid we talk about some kind of public confrontation. History shows that in various countries, after military conflicts, especially in times of depression, such things have happened," Klitschko stated at the Democratic Resilience of Ukraine During War and Reconstruction forum.

He also stressed that Ukrainian politicians must now work in unity. However, elections always bring rivalry and accusations, which could even escalate into civil conflicts, he warned.

Klitschko Calls Maintaining the Army an 'Expensive Pleasure'

The Kyiv mayor also addressed the issue of employment for soldiers returning to civilian life after the war.

"Maintaining an army is not a cheap pleasure; we currently have nearly a million people in service. Supporting the army after hostilities end is an even bigger problem," he said, noting that at least a third of the military should transition to the reserve after the war. When they return to civilian life, they will need to find jobs as quickly as possible, he emphasized.

Reports of Renewed Conflict Between Klitschko and Zelensky

Previously, strana.ua reported that tensions between Kyiv’s mayor and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration had escalated again.

Two main factors contributed to this confrontation:

• The first was Zelensky's appointment of a new head of the Kyiv City Military Administration (KCMA), Timur Tkachenko, who quickly clashed with Klitschko.
• The second factor was a criminal case against Denys Komarnytskyi, described as "one of the key players in Kyiv’s construction and land market" and reportedly close to the mayor’s team. Sources told the publication that Komarnytskyi is "the key to accessing the shadow finances of the city administration," with at least seven more corruption charges expected against Klitschko’s associates.

Earlier, Ukraine’s anti-corruption prosecutor’s office raided Kyiv’s city hall in an investigation into an alleged criminal organization within the city council. This occurred shortly after Klitschko publicly criticized President Zelensky’s circle. The Kyiv administration's press service explained that the searches were linked to a case of possible abuse by city officials in property transfers dating back to 2009. Shortly after, Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court arrested Petro Olenych, Kyiv’s Deputy Mayor under Klitschko, on suspicion of illegal land appropriation.

Details

Vitalii Klychko (born 19 July 1971) is a Ukrainian politician and former professional boxer. He serves as mayor of Kyiv, and is also head of the Kyiv City State Administration, having held both offices since June 2014. Klitschko is a former leader of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, and is a former member of the Ukrainian Parliament. He became actively involved in Ukrainian politics in 2005 and combined this with his professional boxing career until his retirement from the sport in 2013. He holds a Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) in "Sports Science" from Kyiv University's Physical Science and Sports Department.