Seth Udinski, FISM News
As the conflict in Ukraine escalates to all-out war, the mayor of the nations capital of Kyiv is not backing down, even promising that he would join the fight against Russia himself if necessary.
Vitali Klitschko has served as the mayor of Kyiv since 2014, the same year Russia first began infringing upon Ukrainian land. The 50-year-old mayor is not a stranger to fighting – he was a Hall-of-Fame heavyweight boxer in his younger days. His younger brother, Wladimir, another Hall-of-Fame fighter, has also joined in the battle for their country’s freedom, enlisting in the Ukrainian reserved force several weeks ago.
Is there a more iconic photo right now from Ukraine? Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko defending his country 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/TqcmTdfdrU
— Michael Morgan (@mikewhoatv) February 25, 2022
The elder Klitschko said late last week,
It’s already a bloody war… I don’t have another choice. I have to do that. I would fight. Now, the Russian president is using war rhetoric … he makes it clear that he wants to destroy the Ukrainian state and the sovereignty of its people. Words are followed by missiles and tanks. Destruction and death come upon us. … We will defend ourselves with all our might and fight for freedom and democracy.
Mayor Klitschko serves as a microcosm of the courage and resolve found across the Ukrainian population. The nation is not bowing down even as they take on one of the most powerful countries on earth in the fight to preserve their freedom.