vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kiev Ukraine Mayor, thank you
so much for coming on and sharing some of your time
with us this morning. Let's get right to the big news
now, Russia has positioned itself to annex the eastern
parts of your country with these highly questionable
referendums. Many are calling these sham elections. I
guess the concern is that Russia is going to use these
referendums to potentially just an attack uh in the
future. What is your response What is your message to
Vladimir Putin It's fake. He's huge fake. He is Russian
and Putin tried to legalize his illegal activities
right now in in Ukraine, this territory is Ukra
territory and the make referendum in our territory
result. Work doesn't accept this referendum and we
Ukrainian also doesn't accept this referendum. It's a
big left. And the big day actually we they try to make
good face but, What does this practically mean numb
one for the Ukrainians in those regions And to this is
what we saw eight years ago uh in Crimea Putin playbook
on this is clear and also to be clear, this is roughly
20% these four regions that now are going to be annexed
as part of the ceremony later today. Um Uh this is 20%
roughly of Ukrainian territory. That's no small area,
but for the folks in there, the Ukrainians, what doe
it mean for them Because this is an escalation of the
war. Um Yes, it's first of all day trial legalized
himself. Russians. Just one second point in during the
war making referendum. Uh it's uh no sense. Just one
sense to uh try to explain because people try to
support Russians and Russians right now support this
territory. It's the territory of Ukraine. And uh it's
no reason to do it at right now referendum and to do
referendum during the work. It's a legal, we doesn't
have international observers that actually there's no
reason to talk about that because it's totally illeg
activity from Russia Mr Mayor. This move by Putin comes
after the Ukrainian military made some significant
gains on the battlefield, regaining a lot of territory.
You are in key, which is a location of one of Vladimir
Putin's biggest failures. He was unable to take that
city. What's the mood like right now there How are
people going about their normal lives Has any normalcy
returns since the war started Actually right now, it'
uh in Kiev much more safety in capital of Ukraine. M
more safety situation than a couple of months. Report,
Thanks for defensive weapons support and and direct its
weapon uh directed depends what receive our country. We
need more. And thank you for that post. And second
point. But yes, of course the normal life coming slowly
back in in our hometown is campaign restaurant
to open. But people still pretty nervous with last
messages from Russia. They explain about the a chance
to use nuclear weapons. We actually have experienced uh
what we have to do. And is this critical situation
experience from castro uh 30 years ago. But anyway, the
people still nervous. And everybody, everyone talking
about that. And yes, of course as uh Mexico government,
we prepared to give and give the instruction to people
what they have to do it if the Russians used the negro
weapon. But our opinion is the big left and that is
really one of the central questions of this confl
especially in light of Ukraine's recent successes. How
far is a desperate Putin willin to go So you have the
nuclear question, the most chilling question hanging
over all of this, But to get back to also something
that's been in the news, this pipeline issue as well.
Now considered sabotage by by some to natural gas
pipelines that run under the Baltic sea from Russia to
Germany Now, big leaks. People believe it was an
sabotages basically Russia attacked its own pipeline
because this invasion has created an energy crisis
throughout europe. And this was another way Putin was
sending a message that we will try to starve parts of
europe from our precious natural gas supply here. Do
you believe that it was sabotaged by by Russia And what
does that suggest to you hear about Putin's mindset Uh,
I'm sorry you talk about conflict. It's not confli
it's war, but every war have a clear rules. But in this
war it's not it's no rules. We see the horrible imag
from your pain anywhere killed woman's Children, old
people is genocide of Ukrainian population wouldn'
need property, wouldn't need your brain without your
brain. Uh and right now we do not stream with explosion
ideas is the interest of uh Russia because they write
the stabilized situation to make all europe depend from
Russia from Russian gas and to destabilize situation
economic situation in europe. Are you at all encouraged
by the fact that this war is beginning to hit home for
Russians. You're seeing one way tickets out of town in
big numbers. You're seeing protests in the street,
you're seeing packed highways because fighting age men
want to get the hell out of there before they're
essentially drafted into a war that they've been misled
about through state run media and don't want to die in
and don't understand why they're there. Do you think
there's enough of a groundswell right now within Ru
that it would change the course of this war at all
internally in terms of how Russians feel about what's
happening with the invasion of your country. Uh It is
very important. It's so many refugees right now from
Russia. It's actually refugees actually from countrie
who is in the war. It's Russia attacked Ukraine an
right now the people don't want to be to be mobilized
and left Russia try to move from Russia away. But our
opinion is Russian population h to say and give the
questions to put into Russia's government, why world
companies like um uh Microsoft uh like coca cola uh
like Mcdonald's uh S.A.P I.T. It's many, many thousands
of uh international brands left Russia. Uh and also
very important question of what the Russian population
had to give Mr Putin. Why My brother, my son, my
relative, my friend, di what reason And we expect we
expect the Russian population gives this question to
the Putin and his government. We Ukrainian played
responsibly for our country. We defend our families, we
defend our Children. We motivated very much and that's
why homework surprised how tough Ukrainian warriors
defend our countries and uh where its motivation is.
Spirit is very important. Point in the bottle. We
defend our homes and we win this senseless war. We
defend our country. I am more than sure is huge
motivation. Which spirit in everyone in Ukraine right
now. And Russia, yes of course try to destabilize the
situation in europe. Uh try to destabilize situation in
in Ukraine, I told you already wouldn't need Ukraine a
property. And they told the whole world again, he tried
to be collector of Russian properties and talking
now about quality countries. Talking about now about
Poland and yes of course Ukraine in his region have to
be part of Russian federation. Our vision a sense of
this war. We Ukrainian want to be democratic european
country to be the part of european family, it's our
wish which not accepted from Russians, they want to
rebuild Russian employer, we wa we wasn't USSR and we
don't want back to USSR Point point is being made very
clear right now because the resistance put up by the
Ukrainian military is nothing short of remarkable
Vitaly. Klitschko, mayor of Kie and head of the key
city state administration. Than you so much for coming
on this morning. We appreciate it. Be right back.
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