Sports

"No one is safe in Ukraine," says boxing legend Vitali Klitschko

The former boxer and mayor of Kyiv claimed that Ukraine's resistance depends on the arrival of weapons from the West

By Andy Leal Cerdá

March 21, 2022 2:49pm

Updated: March 21, 2022 4:04pm

Ukrainian former boxer and mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko, together with President Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Monday: "We do not want to return to the Soviet Union. We are defending democracy because we do not want to live under the yoke of a dictator. We prefer to die rather than surrender."

"This war affects the whole world, not only Ukraine but also Europe. We need help. We need weapons," he said in an interview with Televisión Española (TVE).

The mayor of the Ukrainian capital explained that the Russians "have been trying to enter Kyiv for three weeks, but we are destroying the attackers. Our city is a fortress and we are preparing in every street, in every building to block their way. We will not surrender the city to the invaders."

Desde el comienzo de la invasión de Rusia el alcalde de Kiev, Vitaly Klitschko, ha estado en primera línea de acción

En el @telediario_tve, repasan la trayectoria del carismático alcalde de Kievhttps://t.co/6Ddn2MWwJj
— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) March 6, 2022

The multiple world boxing champion said that Russian attacks are targeting the civilian population. "There are cities that no longer exist. Our citizens have been hiding in bunkers for days, even weeks, because of these attacks. This war is destroying the lives of millions of people," he added.

Klitschko, who became famous for his record of 45 wins—41 by knockout and only two defeats—claimed that Ukrainians will continue to fight and resist the invader: "The Russians cannot win," he said.

The fighter who famously knocked out Cuban Odlanier Solis in a title fight in 2011 warned of the impact of the war: "If anyone in Spain thinks this war doesn't affect them, they are wrong. This war affects the whole world. The world war has already begun."