Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko has spoken out about the possibility of a referendum on any plan to end the war in Ukraine.
In an interview published today in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Klitschko stressed that Zelenskiy would have to show that the majority of Ukrainians support the terms of a peace agreement, which could include painful territorial concessions.
“O Zelensky He will probably have to resort to a referendum, I don’t think he can reach such painful and important agreements alone, without popular legitimacy,” argued the mayor of the Ukrainian capital.
Huge challenges
Any scenario for a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin would pose enormous challenges for the president, he said, outlining an ominous outlook for the Ukrainian president.
“The coming months will be very difficult for Volodymyr Zelensky. Should he continue the war that will bring new deaths and destruction, or consider a territorial compromise with Putin? And if so, what kind of pressure will America exert if (Donald) Trump wins? And how will we explain to the country that we must renounce our claims to parts of our territory, the battles for the preservation of which have cost the lives of thousands of our heroes? Whatever step he takes, our president risks committing political suicide,” Klitschko assessed.
The formation of a national unity government, as happened in Israel after the October 7 attack by Hamas, could be a way to ensure stability, he argued.
However, he stresses that he is not sure whether President Zelensky would be willing to give up the presidency of the country, which remains without new elections, which were canceled due to the declaration of martial law after the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022.
Klitschko and Zelensky are political rivals, and the former world boxing champion is rumored to have aspirations of becoming president.
When asked by Corriere della Sera about their relationship, the Kyiv mayor said: “To be clear, I have always had a good relationship with him, it is he who has a bad relationship with me.” However, he stressed that he considers it inappropriate to hold elections at this time.
Sources: AMPE, dpa