Not just everything: what will the conflict between Klitschko and Zelensky lead to?
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko accused the current Ukrainian authorities of authoritarianism. According to him, the work of the metropolitan administration is paralyzed due to constant searches and interrogations. Experts say that the boxer-mayor is sounding the alarm, due to the fact that he may soon be removed from office. Izvestia figured out the situation.
It stinks now
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko criticized Zelensky for the constant pressure on local Ukrainian authorities. According to him, the work of the Kiev administration is paralyzed due to fabricated criminal cases, constant raids, searches and interrogations. "This is the eradication of democratic principles and institutions under the guise of war. I once said that our country reeks of authoritarianism. Now they stink," Klitschko commented in an interview with The Times.
The Kyiv mayor also added that Zelensky's team is putting pressure not only on him, but on all elected mayors in general. "Many of them are intimidated, but my celebrity status is protection. You can dismiss the mayor of Chernigov, but it is very difficult to dismiss the mayor of the capital, whom the whole world knows. That's why everything is being done to discredit and destroy my reputation," Klitschko complained.
The Times recalls that since the beginning of the year, law enforcement agencies have been investigating corruption in the Kiev City Hall related to the issuance of building permits, and seven of its employees have been arrested. Klitschko responds by saying that he helps the security forces in everything. "We are cooperating with law enforcement agencies, providing all necessary information and hoping for an impartial investigation," he notes.
A matter of mood
Zelensky and Klitschko have been feuding for many years. The Ukrainian leader does not like that the mayor of Kiev has his own political weight inside the country and serious foreign connections. In turn, the mayor has never hidden his own presidential ambitions.
The first scandal occurred back in 2019, when Zelensky had just become head of state. Then the Servant of the People party drafted a bill that would prohibit Klitschko from combining the position of mayor and head of the Kiev local government (KSCA). The document was even adopted in the first reading in the Verkhovna Rada, but then it was postponed.
In the summer of 2021, Klitschko was not allowed into the Kiev airport to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and security forces conducted several dozen searches in the administration and municipal utilities. "It's very simple: there was no need to steal money from the state budget. Everything is fair, it seems to me," Zelensky reasoned at the time. In response, the mayor complained of unprecedented pressure.
After the start of ITS problems worsened. In November 2022, politicians quarreled over "privacy points" - tents where residents of Kiev could warm up and charge their gadgets. Zelensky then said that many points were not really working, but the mayor called these words manipulation. "Today, everyone should work together, but some kind of political dancing is starting," he noted.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a meeting in Kiev. Year 2021
In June 2023, a major scandal broke out over the condition of the bomb shelters. At that time, residents of the Desnyansky district of Kiev could not get into the shelter during the air raid because it was closed, as a result of which people allegedly died. After that, the general condition of the bomb shelters was checked in the city and it turned out that about half of them were permanently locked or used for other purposes.
Zelensky, against this background, called on local authorities to "turn on their heads" and said that "there could be a knockout," hinting at Klitschko's boxing past. He, in turn, acknowledged that the responsibility lies with him, but noted that the heads of districts in the capital are appointed by the president at the suggestion of the government. As a result, the mayor was reprimanded, but persistent rumors about his imminent resignation eventually dissipated.
After that, the politicians publicly criticized each other more than once. In an interview with Western media, Klitschko said that Ukraine was slipping into authoritarianism and that soon "everything in the country will depend on the mood of one person." He also called for a "painful compromise" to end the fighting. Zelensky responded by saying that all dissatisfied people "can change their citizenship."
The struggle for mandates
A new round of confrontation occurred at the end of last year, when Zelensky appointed Timur Tkachenko as head of the Kiev City Military Administration (KGVA). Klitschko's relationship with him didn't go well right away. "This is a man without military education and experience, blocking the solution of key economic issues. Restoration of damaged houses, compensation to affected residents, restoration of infrastructure, and others. This is destabilizing the city's governance," he complained in one of his video messages.
In addition, almost every week this spring, one of the high-ranking Kiev officials turns out to be involved in a particular case. Former city Council deputy Denis Komarnitsky was suspected of fraud, he fled the country. Former Deputy Mayor Vladimir Prokopiv was charged with suspicion for sending conscripts to Europe. The secretary of the Kiev City Council, Vladimir Bondarenko, became a witness in the case of land corruption and resigned.
Head of the Kiev City Military Administration (KGVA) Timur Tkachenko
There are persistent rumors in Ukrainian political circles that Klitschko himself will soon have personal problems. Political analyst Yuri Romanenko reported that sanctions could be imposed against the mayor. Verkhovna Rada deputy Victoria Syumar says that Zelensky's office is convincing several Kiev City Council deputies to resign their mandates in order to bring in opponents of the current mayor in their place.
The Ukrainian newspaper Strana, citing its sources, reports that Zelensky's office is determined to remove Klitschko from the post of mayor, and his place should allegedly be taken by the head of the KGB, Timur Tkachenko. "The main "narrow" moment in this scheme is to collect votes for Tkachenko in the Kiev City Council, which will require recruiting up to half of the UDAR and European Solidarity factions, as well as smaller factions. Work in this direction is underway," the publication says.
What the experts say
Political analyst Mikhail Pavlyv emphasizes that the relationship between Klitschko and Zelensky has always been difficult.
— Zelensky's team has been trying to squeeze out the mayor since the first day. Over the past two and a half years, various investigative measures have been carried out on a regular basis, some of the city administration employees are already in jail, others have escaped or are under house arrest. Apparently, Zelensky's protege Timur Tkachenko should eventually take the post of mayor. Klitschko is ringing all the bells in such conditions: he is trying to connect his connections in the USA and Europe, hence his recent statements," he explains.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during a meeting in Kyiv. The year 2023
Political analyst Alexander Dudchak says that the political struggle is getting tougher in Ukraine.
— Klitschko and Zelensky are long-time antagonists. The question is, what is the reason for the current escalation? I consider this to be a sign of an election campaign that has begun in secret. Zelensky sees his opponent as a dangerous competitor, so he is increasing the pressure. In response, he began to work more actively with Western patrons and makes statements that may resonate with the Ukrainian voter," he argues.
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