We must join forces to stop the war, then the time for elections will come. This was stated by the mayor of Kiev Vitali Klitschko at a press conference at the European Parliament in Brussels, where earlier today he received an award from the European Committee of the Regions for his efforts in protecting human rights. The award is named after the late mayor of Gdansk, Pawel Adamowicz, writes BTA.
Elections are the basis of democracy, but the situation in Ukraine today is such that almost 10 million Ukrainians are outside the country, and nearly as many are displaced within the country. About one million are on the battlefield. Every day we lose our fighters and part of our lands, Klitschko pointed out.
A political race always leads to populism. In this difficult situation, the election campaign can destroy the country from within, wound it. I am increasingly sure that after there is peace in Ukraine, the next step will be elections. This is my personal opinion, he explained.
It is very important for the country to be united and for there to be unity in support for Ukraine. Sometimes I have the feeling that some political forces are preparing for elections. It would not be wise to conduct election preparations now, the mayor of Kiev said.
Asked to assess the words and actions of US President Donald Trump related to Ukraine, Klitschko pointed out that it is important to maintain composure in order to find a solution to the main issue - how to stop the war. We are angry that we were not invited together with our European partners to the negotiations (in Riyadh), he added. According to him, it is clear that there can be no talk of Ukraine joining NATO.
It would not be fair to cede part of our lands to the Russians. This is not a solution, Klitschko said, when asked what the conditions for peace could be. Diplomacy is a good way to restore peace, but it is important for Ukraine to participate in the negotiations, he added.
Ukraine has always been a peaceful country and has not shown aggression towards anyone, but today we have no choice and we must fight and defend our homeland. The reason for this senseless war is that Ukrainians want to be part of the European family. The Russian Federation has never accepted this, they see Ukraine as part of the Russian empire. We are fighting for the freedom to be a democratic country. We must do everything possible to restore peace in Europe. Freedom and peace depend on unity in helping Ukraine, Klitschko said.
He thanked everyone who helped his country and expressed his belief that without this support Ukraine would not have survived. The award is for the millions of Ukrainians who are fighting for a European future, said the mayor of Kiev.