(Reuters) – Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Sunday dismissed “stupid” polemics in the midst of war with Russia, after Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskiy criticized measures taken in the capital to help the population.
While Russian bombings are depriving part of the Ukrainian population of electricity and heating, Vitali Klitschko said in a video broadcast on Telegram messaging that 430 reception centers had been created in Kyiv for residents suffering from the cold and that more than a hundred were planned in case of extreme conditions.
“I don’t want to be involved in political battles, especially in the current situation,” said the former world boxing champion.
“That’s stupid. I have things to do in this town.”
Vitali Klitschko, whose relations with Volodimir Zelenskiy were already strained before the outbreak of the Russian invasion on February 24, accused those close to the Ukrainian president of “manipulation” over the city’s efforts vis-à-vis its inhabitants, in particular through “incomprehensible photos” disseminated on the Internet.
“To put it mildly, it’s not pleasant. Neither for Ukrainians nor for our foreign partners,” Kyiv mayor said. “Today, like never before, everyone has to come together and work together. And here we have a kind of political game.”
(Written by Ron Popeski, French version Bertrand Boucey)
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