Wołodymyr Zełenski has moved to ease pressure on Witalij Kliczko by creating a special group to help prepare Kijów for winter. It is a practical step, but it also shows how quickly questions about the city’s readiness have become a political issue again.
The timing matters. In Kijów, there are regular power cuts, and concerns are growing over water supply, sewage, power generators and how city budget resources are being distributed. That makes winter planning far more than a routine administrative task.
Why winter preparation has become a flashpoint
The dispute between Zełenski and Kliczko is not new. The first plan to remove Witalij Kliczko from his post as head of the Kijowska Miejska Administracja Państwowa appeared in 2019, and the conflict flared again in 2021, when searches were launched in city structures and Kliczko accused the central authorities of political pressure.
More recently, the tension has played out in public. A few weeks ago, several hundred residents protested outside the city administration building in Kijów and demanded Kliczko’s dismissal. Their slogans were blunt: “Dymisja”, “Kijów bez Kliczki!”, “Kliczko, twój czas minął” and “Mamy dość”. One message summed up the mood: “Kijów nie jest gotowy nawet na jesień”.
What Zełenski’s move changes
By setting up the special group, Zełenski has effectively made winter preparedness a shared responsibility, rather than leaving it as a purely city-level problem. The group is meant to help Kliczko get Kijów ready for the months ahead, at a time when reliability in basic services is under intense scrutiny.
That does not end the political argument. It does, however, show that the state understands the scale of the challenge. Winter in Kijów will not be judged only by plans on paper, but by whether the city can keep essential services functioning when the pressure rises.
For Kliczko, that means the next few weeks matter. For Zełenski, it is a chance to show that coordination can work. And for residents of Kijów, the only verdict that counts will be whether the city is better prepared when the cold sets in.
