Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko release a video about the invasion of Ukraine: “We must unite against this invasion”
By: Sean Crose
Two middle-aged men, brothers, stand in a handsome position wearing winter coats. They were dressed casually and with worn expressions. They seem to be a universe away from the once-dominant boxing rings. For now they are waging another war, one with grave and bloody consequences: a full-scale war with Russia. Hours after a full-scale assault began on their homeland of Ukraine from Russian military forces, Wladimir and Vitali Klitchko addressed the world on video. Wladimir delivers a speech in the clip, which is less than a minute long, while his brother Vitali, now mayor of Kiev, Ukraine’s capital, is serious.
Wladimir said: “I call on all international partners to observe this tragedy that is happening today in Ukraine, and that this senseless war will have no winners but losers. I just want to tell you that we have to unite against this aggression, against Russian aggression. Don’t let it continue to happen in Ukraine, don’t let it happen in Europe and potentially in the world. United, we are strong. Support Ukraine. ”
Wladimir also posted the following on Twitter on Thursday morning: “The world is watching how reckless and dangerous imperialism is, not only for #Ukraine but for the whole world. Let history be an unrepeatable lesson.”
The world was stunned late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning (depending on one’s time zone) when news broke that Russian forces, led by that country’s president, Wladimir Putin, had launched a large-scale, multi-pronged military offensive on Ukraine. It wasn’t the attack itself that was stunning – that was to be expected. What was surprising was the nature of the invasion – an all-out assault not seen in Europe since the Second World War. As of press time, the invasion continues.
