Every Ukrainian would like Chancellor Scholz to visit Kyiv and see the destruction “with his own eyes,” says Wladimir Klitschko. In an interview with ntv, the former boxing world champion criticized Germany’s reluctance to deliver weapons – and insisted on his country’s EU accession.
The Ukrainian ex-boxing world champion Wladimir Klitschko has accused the German government of being hesitant to deliver heavy weapons and is calling for the announced support to be implemented. “I hope that loud words will also lead to deeds. A lot is reported to the outside world, a lot is said, but practically you don’t see that much,” said the 46-year-old on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos in an interview with ntv.
During his visit to Berlin at the end of March, he understood that “the people and the government in Germany stand together and have recognized that the aggression coming from the Russian side must be stopped”, but the implementation would come too late: “It is promised, but unfortunately it takes far too long to act. And the more time passes, the more people lose their lives in Ukraine.”
In the interview, Klitschko stressed that people in Ukraine were hoping for a visit from the German Chancellor. “I wish that Olaf Scholz would travel to Kyiv and come to Ukraine to see with his own eyes.” According to Klitschko, it doesn’t have to be a visit to the area around Kyiv, which was particularly hard hit by the destruction of the war, he “no longer wants to see what we saw in Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin”. But the capital Kyiv is also “madly affected” by the fact that “a war is taking place in Europe, a brutal war.” That’s why he wishes “and every Ukrainian that Olaf Scholz travels to Kyiv and comes to Ukraine.”
Europe and the rest of the world must learn that Ukraine needs military equipment for defense, Klitschko emphasized: “You can’t defend yourself in a war with bare hands and fists, like in a boxing ring.” If there is no support, there is also a risk that the Russian war of aggression will spread, with consequences for the western world as a whole: “If Ukraine falls, the free world will also fall,” said Klitschko.
Klitschko pointed out the importance of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine: “This horror of war, it is possible to stop it. That’s why the negotiations must go on.” That sounds strange, because “how can you trust Russia when there is no trust? Trust has been lost,” Klitschko continued. Ultimately, however, he still has hope: “One person can stop this war, Vladimir Putin, who started and announced this war. I think it’s still possible, which actually seems impossible.”
EU accession is crucial for Ukraine, says the brother of the mayor of Kyiv. But Ukrainian accession would also make sense for the international community. “We also bring an incredible amount of performance to Europe,” he explains. “This accession is incredibly important so that we can build our future life together, support each other and ultimately stand together against this senseless war.”