The Mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko said that in the end Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may have to hold a referendum on any plan to end the war, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Klitschko said Zelensky would have to show that the majority of Ukrainians were behind the terms of a peace deal, including potentially painful territorial concessions, in an interview with the Sunday edition of the Italian daily “Corriere della Sera”.
"Zelensky will probably have to resort to a referendum, I don't think he can reach such painful and important agreements alone without popular legitimation," Klitschko said.
Any scenario for a peace agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin would pose enormous challenges for the president, Klitschko said.
Klitschko outlined the difficult situation, the newspaper notes.
„The next few months will be very difficult for Volodymyr Zelensky. Should he continue the war with more deaths and destruction or consider a territorial compromise with Putin?
And in that case, what pressure might come from America if (Donald) Trump wins?
And how do we explain to the country that we have to give up parts of our territory that cost the lives of thousands of our heroes?
Whatever step he takes, our president risks committing political suicide,” Klitschko said.
The creation of a government of national unity, as happened in Israel after the attack of “Hamas” on October 7, could be a way to guarantee stability, the mayor pointed out.
However, he is unsure whether President Zelensky will be willing to relinquish the centralized power guaranteed to him by the entry into force of martial law following a full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022.
Klitschko and Zelenski are political rivals, with the former world boxing champion rumored to have ambitions to become president.
When asked by the Italian newspaper about their relationship, Klitschko said: “To be clear, I have always had a good relationship with him, he is the one who is on bad terms with me”.
However, Klitschko said that he considers holding an election at this time unwise.