In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said that Zelensky must hold a referendum, otherwise it will be impossible to make peace with Putin.
Klitschko predicts that the coming months could be decisive for Zelensky. According to the mayor, the president will have to choose between continuing the war with possible new casualties and destruction or considering the option of a territorial compromise with Putin.
“I can’t imagine how Zelensky will explain to the people the need to give back some of the territories that were captured at a high price,” Klitschko notes.
The mayor also questions the possibility of reaching agreements without popular legitimacy.
“Probably, Zelensky will have to hold a referendum or create a national unity government, as happened in Israel after the Hamas attack,” Klitschko believes.
Klitschko also criticized the centralization of power in the hands of Zelensky, noting that this led to the loss of the role of parliament.
“Zelensky has concentrated too much power in his office. We must avoid a situation where all important decisions are reduced to one president,” the mayor argues. He also recalled his dissatisfaction with Zelensky’s decision to dismiss Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny, which caused significant discontent.
Regarding Zelensky's proposal to hold a second international peace conference with Russia's participation, Klitschko expressed skepticism. "The Russians are unreliable, their promises are worthless. It is still unclear how the situation will change after the US elections," he noted, emphasizing the importance of US support for reaching peace agreements.
