Kyiv Mayor targets Zelenskyy

Russia-Ukraine war is nearing its 2-year mark, and voices against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are increasingly rising within the Ukrainian government.

'ONE-MAN RULE' CRITICISM

One of the prominent figures in Ukrainian politics, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, said that the country is drifting toward authoritarianism.

Speaking to the German magazine Der Spiegel, Klitschko stated that democracy in Ukraine is in danger and noted that the only remaining independent institutions are the municipalities. Referring to President Zelenskyy, Klitschko said, "At some point, we will no longer be any different from Russia. Everything will depend on the mood of one man."

"HE HAS NOT CALLED ME EVEN ONCE"

Klitschko, a former boxing champion, stated that Zelenskyy has not called him even once since the beginning of the war and that the government views municipalities as an "obstacle."

Zelenskiy and his main political rival Klitschko had clashed many times before the war as well. The Zelenskyy government had made several attempts to remove Klitschko from office and had directed harsh criticisms at the mayor due to war measures in Kyiv.

Klitschko, who has been the Mayor of Kyiv for 9 years, had previously drawn attention by saying that Ukraine had failed in the war against Russia.

The recent failure of Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia is causing serious debates within the Ukrainian government. In a statement made during the week, Zelenskyy also stated that the offensive carried out against the Russian army since the spring months did not yield the expected results, and the main reason for this was "Ukraine not receiving the weapons it expected from its allies."