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On July 21, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera published an interview with Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko. In a conversation with a journalist, Klitschko touched upon acute issues concerning the future of Ukraine and possible scenarios for resolving the conflict with Russia.
Referendum on territorial compromise
One of the main questions of the interview was the possibility of holding a referendum among Ukrainians regarding a territorial compromise with Russia in order to achieve peace. Klitschko emphasized that the coming months will be extremely difficult for President Zelensky. “Will he have to continue the war with more deaths and destruction, or consider a territorial compromise with Putin? And if so, what kind of pressure will there be from America if Trump wins? How to explain to the country that it is necessary to give up parts of our territory that cost the lives of thousands of our heroic soldiers?” – asked the mayor of Kyiv.
Klitschko also noted that any step taken by Zelensky in this direction would be accompanied by huge risks. “No matter what step he takes, our president risks political suicide,” said the mayor of Kyiv.
Creation of a government of national trust
According to Klitschko, a possible way out for Zelensky could be the creation of a government of national trust, similar to the military cabinet in Israel, which was formed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the attack by the terrorist group Hamas on October 7. “However, I am not sure that Zelensky is ready to give up the centralized power in his hands,” Klitschko added.
The perspective of the presidential elections
Klitschko also spoke out against holding presidential elections in Ukraine before the end of the war, arguing that it would only play into Putin’s hands. “The elections will divide Ukraine and weaken it in the face of the enemy, who is trying to destroy it by all means,” he stressed.
Challenges and hopes
Concluding the interview, Klitschko noted that Ukraine must win the war, but the situation is becoming increasingly difficult and depends on the help of allies. “It would be a nightmare if we had to fight for another two years. Zelensky will probably have to resort to a referendum, I don’t think he will be able to reach such painful and important agreements on his own, without popular legitimation,” he summarized.
Klitschko’s interview in Corriere della Sera became an important signal about the difficult decisions that await Ukraine in the near future, and about the risks that these decisions pose both for the country’s political stability and its territorial integrity.
