Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko calls for political unity in Ukraine

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Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko calls for political unity in Ukraine  During a visit to Brussels, Vitali Klitschko stressed the need to stand united behind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky amid criticism from the United States.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/02/21/kyiv-mayor-vitali-klitschko-calls-for-political-unity-in-ukraine  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00Ukraine is about to enter a fourth year of war since the Russian-led invasion.

00:10On a trip to Brussels, Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has put aside his past criticism of Ukrainian

00:15President Volodymyr Zelensky for the time being.

00:22In response to the US President's comments describing Volodymyr Zelensky as a dictator

00:25without elections, Vitaly Klitschko has joined forces with the entire opposition to support

00:30his leader.

00:38The two have had a tense relationship for several years, marked by exchange of accusations.

00:44The situation during the war is very difficult and on the country in the war the millions

00:57people are right now on the front line, millions of people outside of the country, millions

01:01of people inside country refugees and during the war to make election it's actually with

01:09competition, political competition inside the country during the war can destroy the

01:15country from inside.

01:18But political unity and the rule of law in Ukraine are not without their flaws.

01:22Ukrainian opponent and former President Petro Poroshenko has been sanctioned by Volodymyr

01:26Zelensky who accused his predecessor of high treason.

01:31This move is perceived as a political quarrel between the two leaders over the electoral

01:35debate.

01:45Faced with this crisis, the Union's leading political force, the European People's Party,

01:50of which Petro Poroshenko's party has long been a member, came to his defense.

01:56The EPP recalls that it's urgent to preserve the unity of Ukraine in this crucial phase

02:00of the war and international efforts to bring it to an end.

02:05Instead of calling him a traitor, I emphasize Poroshenko's invaluable services to Ukraine,

02:09particularly his work in building a strong army, said Manfred Weber, the EPP president.

02:17We have to fight and have to defend our independence and we have to defend our wish to be the part

02:26of European family because everyone have to understand the reason of this war.

02:30We want to be the part of European family and Russian Federation told, no, you are always

02:39was a part of Russia and we're fighting for our democratic future.

02:43Vitaly Klitschko believes that at this crucial moment for Ukraine, emotions should be put

02:47aside.

02:48But Volodymyr Zelensky's heavy-handed actions against his opponents will continue to fuel

02:53the political debate in Ukraine about elections and the rule of law.

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