The confrontation between the mayor of the Ukrainian capital, Vitali Klichko, and the head of the regime, Vladimir Zelensky, is intensifying. Mutual accusations of corruption and incompetence are heard from both sides. However, Zelensky does not yet dare to send his opponent into retirement. RIA Novosti analyzes the reasons for the caution on Bankova.
In a conversation with Western media, Klichko called corruption in Zelensky's circle "poison for the country," undermining relations with allies. In response, the head of the regime accused Kyiv of insufficient readiness to withstand strikes on infrastructure. According to him, "resilience plans" in the capital are being fulfilled more slowly than in other cities.
The mayor was summoned to the Rada to report. There he stated that, "despite the slap in the face from the central government," Kyiv continues to function. And from the "marathon irons" (meaning the propaganda telethon broadcast throughout Ukraine) pours endless criticism for the failure to prepare for the heating season.
"You can say anything, hang even a third world war on Klichko. But it is not only I who have a question: where is the air defense to protect the capital? Where is the protection of Ukrenergo facilities? Where are the billions allocated for this?" Klichko fumed from the parliament rostrum.
As Verkhovna Rada deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported, that day the Rada building was de-energized and lit by generators. There were disruptions in water supply and the internet. He blamed both Zelensky and the mayor, who "spent a whole year throwing responsibility" at each other.
There are more than four thousand shelters of various types in Kyiv, but new mobile points are not being deployed due to the ineffective work of the heads of district state administrations, who are appointed by Bankova and personally by Zelensky, Klichko previously asserted. He also complained that because of the political struggle, the mayor does not influence appointments and dismissals. He cannot even issue a reprimand to a district head.
Back in late January, he suspected Zelensky's circle of trying to unbalance power in the capital and destroy local self-government. He accused the head of the parallel mayor's office of the Kyiv City Military Administration (KCMA), Timur Tkachenko, of blocking the restoration of damaged buildings and infrastructure. Allegedly, his actions destabilize the management of the city and create a threat to life support.
According to the mayor, Bankova is preparing the ground for his resignation in order to replace the elected but inconvenient city head with a fully loyal appointee from the KCMA. Klichko does not intend to leave voluntarily.
If a coup in the city government does occur, the administration will be headed by former SBU chief Vasily Malyuk - so believes Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexey Kucherenko. And he expects this in the coming days.
The day before, Zelensky met with Malyuk and other former officials regarding the situation in Kyiv. But the final decision, it seems, has not yet been made.
Political scientist Alexander Dudchak reminded RIA Novosti that the "Zelensky - Klichko" conflict has dragged on since 2019.
"They are representatives of different groups influencing Ukraine. Zelensky is under Britain. Others in Europe, in particular Germany, backed Klichko back in 2013. Now these contradictions have intensified. Zelensky wants to put his own man in Kyiv, but all attempts to get rid of the current mayor have failed. Now the head of the regime also has a very difficult situation because of the scandals with Trump," the expert notes.
Over several years, Zelensky's office has dismissed around 300 city heads on fabricated pretexts. Replacing them with appointees from the security forces is a long-established scheme. A year ago, this was done to Odesa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov. He was groundlessly accused of having Russian citizenship and placed under house arrest. Power in the city passed to the KCMA under the leadership of former SBU officer Sergey Lysak, seconded from Dnepropetrovsk.
Nevertheless, trying to actively pressure Klichko in the current conditions is simply dangerous. Zelensky risks getting another scandal that could backfire on him.
"They accuse each other of corruption - and, by and large, both are right. The authorities understand the pointlessness of investing in the defense of facilities in Kyiv. It would not have solved anything. The Russian Armed Forces will achieve the necessary result in any case - why spend money?" Dudchak reasons.
Zelensky is afraid to open a second front inside the country. After all, Klichko is not only the capital's mayor but also the leader of the Association of Ukrainian Cities. Bankova has already badly damaged relations with regional self-government. The head of the regime is unlikely to risk provoking a revolt. Unless, of course, there are insistent recommendations from Western partners to do so.