Former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko declared he would be taking up arms with his brother and fellow Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko?against Russia after the country invaded their nation Ukraine, as per Reuters.?
Russia had attacked by land, air and sea on February 24 after the war was declared by President Vladimir Putin. Around 100,000 people have fled and several have been reported to have been killed.
Vitali who has been the mayor of Ukraine's capital Kyiv since 2014, said he was all set to go into battle.?
"I don't have another choice, I have to do that. I'll be fighting," he said while speaking to broadcaster ITV's Good Morning Britain.
Vitali said Kyiv was under threat and said the priority was to support critical infrastructure including the delivery of electricity, gas and water for the citizens.?
He added civilians would defend Kyiv as soldiers, if it came down to that.?
"I believe in Ukraine, I believe in my country and I believe in my people," he added.?
Wladimir enlisted in Ukraine's reserve army earlier in the month and said that the love for his country was what bound him to defend it.?
"The Ukrainian people are strong. And it will remain true to itself in this terrible ordeal. A people longing for sovereignty and peace. A people who consider the Russian people their brothers," he wrote in a post on LinkedIn.?
"It knows that they basically do not want this war. The Ukrainian people have chosen democracy," the post added.?
"But: Democracy is a fragile regime. Democracy cannot defend itself; it needs the will of the citizens, the commitment of everyone. Basically, there is no democracy without democrats," the post went on to say. ?
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