According to a report by Russia's RT on October 15, Kyiv Mayor Klychko said that Ukrainian citizens should prepare for a difficult winter, stockpiling food and warm clothing in case of further Russian attacks on energy facilities.

He admitted that Kyiv might face sudden situations such as power outages and water cuts, and called on residents to be prepared for the worst.

At the same time, the old grudge between Klychko and President Zelenskyy has resurfaced.

Zelenskyy criticized the capital's defense, implying that the mayor had not fulfilled his duties, while Klychko publicly retaliated: "Are all the country's infrastructures being attacked, and am I supposed to protect them all alone?"

This angry rebuttal marked a further deterioration of their relationship and reflected Klychko's growing impatience with Zelenskyy — he seemed no longer willing to be a passive local official who just took the blame, but rather began to confront the president as an independent political figure.

Klychko

In Ukraine's current system, the responsibilities of the Kyiv City Council and the military and central government are indeed somewhat ambiguous.

Theoretically, as mayor, Klychko is responsible for city operations, civil defense, and emergency security, including shelter management, infrastructure repair, life supply reserves, and alert system maintenance, which fall under the scope of local government.

However, when the Russian forces launch missile or drone attacks, air defense deployment, target identification, tactical defense, and even the protection arrangements for the energy system all fall under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff and the Kyiv Defense Command.

In other words, the city government has no authority to command any air defense system or mobilize troops.

In other words, what Klychko can do is organize repairs, rescue, and resettlement after explosions, not issue interception orders before missiles arrive.

Zelenskyy's accusation of insufficient capital defense is, in fact, untenable.

Klychko faces a municipal system without weapons or air defense rights, and he can only use local civil servants, rescue teams, and maintenance workers.

Zelenskyy's criticism of the city government is essentially making Klychko a scapegoat, requiring him to take responsibility for defense failures that do not belong to the local authority.

Zelenskyy

The root cause of the worsening relationship between the two was actually established long before the war.

Klychko belongs to the independent faction politically, has long advocated for local autonomy, and was once very close to Poroshenko.

Zelenskyy, on the other hand, has been continuously concentrating power through military administration and administrative orders.

After the war broke out, Zelenskyy established the Kyiv City Military Administration, appointing officers directly commanded by the president to handle defense affairs, thus cutting Klychko's power in half.

More importantly, the two have completely different personalities: Zelenskyy comes from the entertainment industry and is skilled at shaping public opinion and emotional mobilization; Klychko is a former world boxing champion, used to direct and action-oriented approaches.

Zelenskyy sees politics as a stage, wanting to control everything, while Klychko sees politics as a ring, unwilling to passively perform.

The two have repeatedly clashed on public issues — from the construction of air defense systems, anti-corruption investigations, to the distribution of funds for energy restoration, they have never given way.

This mutual dislike eventually became open after the missile attack incident.

Ukraine under air attack

Now, the僵化 of their relationship is not good news for Kyiv and even the whole Ukraine.

The capital's emergency system needs coordination from the center and execution from the local level. If the president and the mayor continue to fight internally, resource allocation and operational instructions will be hindered.

Especially against the backdrop of winter energy shortages and frequent Russian air raids, political confrontation may directly translate into administrative paralysis.

Worse still, Klychko has considerable public support in Kyiv, and his dissatisfaction is being increasingly recognized by more local officials, which means that Ukraine may face a split between the center and the regions.

If both sides continue to break the face, Kyiv this winter will fall into greater crisis.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7561671538517230115/

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