In an impressive video address, Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, addressed the Munich City Council. “Every morning before I open my eyes I think this is a bad dream,” he said in his address to the plenary session on Wednesday morning. Every day he sees dead civilians, the situation on site is “dramatic”.
Klitschko described the Russian attack on his country as genocide. “This is genocide,” said the 50-year-old former professional boxer. “They destroy the civilian population, they destroy our country.” His city was being bombarded with rockets that “killed every human life within a radius of 500 meters,” said Klitschko. This is not an attack on the military, but on the population. He couldn’t say how many Ukrainians had died so far: “We can’t count the bodies.”
At the same time, Klitschko thanked Germany for their support: “It’s very, very important for us.” Klitschko continued: “We’re not just fighting for our country, we’re not just fighting for our city. We’re fighting for values, for principles that Russia just broke.”
He called on Germany to end economic relations with Russia, even if that was difficult. “Russia invests every euro, every cent, in its army.” He emphasized: “We are Europeans.” It is not possible to support Ukraine and be friendly to Russia at the same time. “It’s about life for us.”
the “Advent calendar for good works of the Süddeutsche Zeitung” offers support to people in need – these days especially those fleeing the war in Ukraine. If you want to help, you can donate to the SZ Advent calendar:
“Advent calendar for good works of the Süddeutsche Zeitung eV”
Stadtsparkasse Munich
IBAN: DE86 7015 0000 0000 6007 00
BIC: SSKMDEMMXXX
Purpose: Ukraine
You can donate online here. Every donation goes to a good cause without any deductions. Süddeutsche Verlag bears all material and administrative costs. An overview of the other options available for providing aid to war victims can be found at: www.sz.de/ukrainehilfe
Klitschko’s speech, which lasted almost an hour, took place right at the beginning of the city council’s general assembly in the Showpalast in Fröttmaning, where the committee is currently holding its meetings. The city councilors then commemorated the victims of the war in a minute’s silence. The further course of the meeting will also deal with the planned support for Ukraine and Ukrainian war refugees.
Munich is Kiev’s sister city. This was also one of the reasons why Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) asked the Russian conductor and friend of Vladimir Putin, Valery Gergiev, to make a statement against the war and then threw him out when none came.