According to RT, the prolonged confrontation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Mayor of Kiev is escalating into a "political conflict". Some Western newspapers also accused the conflict between the two powerful figures of being both personal and expressing tension over power in the context of the country applying martial law.
Mr. Zelensky, once a famous comedian, is said to be narrowing the power of the civil government in Kiev. In the early stages of the conflict, he took control of the Capital's military management from Mr. Klitschko. Since then, many moves of the central government have been considered to weaken the influence of the mayor.
Mayor Klitschko, a former world boxing champion and a potential presidential candidate, has accused the Zelensky administration of "clearing principles and democratic institutions under the name of conflict".
He said his team was hampered by "arrestations, questioning and threats of criminal prosecution staged", making it impossible for the city council to have the number of legal delegates to act.
An American newspaper quoted by RT pointed out that the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Agency had arrested 7 subordinates of Mr. Klitschko and 3 others under investigation. While the Mayor denied all allegations and viewed them as political defamation, the arrests were seen as a real sign of corruption in the Kiev government.
Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kiev city's military agency, appointed by Zelensky, said the widespread corruption in Kiev would be "unfeasible without the help of the city government".
Meanwhile, Mayor Klitschko also accused Mr. Zelensky of trying to control other Mayors across the country, and although he believes he is somewhat protected by his sportsmanship, the President's actions still pose a major concern about the future of Ukraine's democracy.
