Klitschko: Zelenskyy ignores meeting requests

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has been attempting to arrange a face-to-face meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the city's issues in the face of continuous Russian assaults, but has not received a response, the mayor revealed on November 5 to the public broadcaster Suspilne. Klitschko emphasized the necessity of communication between the central government and city authorities, despite the president's heavy workload, as Kyiv is "the heart of the country."

He clarified that President Zelenskyy had not explicitly declined to meet him, describing the situation as akin to "sending a signal into space." Klitschko also commented on Zelenskyy's proposal to establish a special office for Kyiv's authorities, potentially including former Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov.

The mayor learned about the proposal through the media and stated that while they have a competent team working on the issues, they would be grateful for any state assistance, although they currently lack such support in various areas. Klitschko also dismissed President Zelenskyy's comments about Kyiv's inadequate preparations for winter, asserting that central government representatives had not consulted with him or relevant city department heads to assess the city's readiness for the heating season.

On October 9, Zelenskyy had criticized Kyiv authorities for their failure to prepare for renewed Russian air strikes on the capital's vital infrastructure.