In a special interview for Israel's Muni Expo conference, which will open today (Wednesday) in Tel Aviv, Kyiv mayor and former boxing heavyweight champion of the world, Vitali Klitschko, said the Russian invasion of his country, "is not a war, but the genocide of the Ukrainian people." "What the Russians are doing to Ukraine is terrorism," he added.
According to Klitschko, "They are trying to destroy necessary infrastructure for our city. They want to freeze people. Now the weather is getting colder, it's winter, the temperature outside is minus five degrees, and will soon reach minus 20 and minus 30. Winter in Ukraine is quite cold, and they are trying to damage our critical infrastructure, water infrastructures, electricity. Putin wants Ukraine - only without the Ukrainians. That is his goal. To break our spirit, to force us into depression."
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu to do everything in his power to save as many Ukrainians as possible.
The Ukrainian leader said he has spoken to Netanyahu since the recent election and told him that Ukraine needs air defense systems to protect against drone attacks.
Zelenskyy specified that more than 550 Iranian drones have been used in attacks against his country and urged Netanyahu to choose between his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and "Israel's historical ties to Ukraine."
“He certainly can help us with air defense systems,” Zelenskyy said, according to Bloomberg. “If he just wants to maintain his personal relations with President Putin, then of course he may continue to do what he’s been doing. But if he wants to maintain an historical relationship between Israel and the Ukrainian people then I think you have to do everything you can in order to save as many people as possible.”
Israel has delivered several tons of humanitarian assistance and defensive equipment to Ukraine during the war, but has stopped short of supplying Kyiv with advanced weapons systems.
Zelenskyy has been critical of Israel due to this refusal, having recently denounced the lack of aid and alleging that his country has gotten “nothing” from Israel.
Later, Zelenskyy claimed that Israel's refusal to provide military aid to Ukraine in response to Russia's invasion of his country was responsible for the current military alliance between Russia and Iran.
He later reversed course and said he sees a "positive trend" in Kyiv's relations with Israel after the two countries shared intelligence about Russia's purported use of hundreds of Iranian drones against Ukrainian forces.
Zelenskyy speculated that Russia would avoid attacking his country with nuclear weapons, and argued that it would be dangerous to leave the Russian President feeling that he could take another country’s territory without facing consequences.
“We should not be afraid of the nuclear threat." “We need to put him back in his place,” stated Zelenskyy.
Video: i24NEWS