The last time I was in the hall of the Kyiv City Council was on February 24 and 25, 2022.
We all remember those days. The streets of the capital were empty. There was no police, no SBU, no TCC, no law enforcement, no DBR.
The 72nd brigade stayed to defend Kyiv. Our paratroopers of the 80th and 81st brigades. The 169th center. Special operations forces. And territorial defense units — the 112th and 41st. And along with them — thousands of volunteers. On the first day, two thousand people gathered in our office. When asked why they came, the answer was very simple: they said that here you can get weapons.
At that time, there was no question of whom, how, and with whom to unite. We were all united then. And it was from this unity that depended on whether Kyiv would stand. But the danger that has concentrated over Kyiv today is no less than four years ago. However, there is a huge problem: today we lack unity.
The number of ballistic missile launches against Kyiv is incomparable to any other locality or territorial community in Ukraine. And this is not an attack against Bankova or Khreshchatyk. This is an attack against Ukraine. They very much wanted Kyiv to break, for Kyiv to flee, for Kyiv to freeze. But our efforts did not allow that to happen. That is why I am appalled today to see the discussion when Bankova tries to shift responsibility onto Klitschko, onto the City Council, to move away from full responsibility that the state carries.
And yes, we opposed the withdrawal of funds from the local government of the personal income tax. If we calculate today how much money from the PIT was withdrawn from Kyiv’s budget, it’s 24 billion hryvnias.
But they didn’t stop there. They raised a new issue: let’s withdraw another 8 billion hryvnias from the Kyiv city budget. And when asked why, there is no reasonable answer. Because the laws on local self-government do not give the right to do such things.
Simply, Mindich really needs money. Because they have Chernyshov, Ali Baba, and many others keen for resources. They lack money, so they decided to collect it from Kyiv.
But why are we here today? The mayor approached our team with a request to support the capital’s plans for the next year. We are ready to support this. But we will certainly participate in its revision, so that all our experience is used. The experience of competent, efficient, professional people.
We are convinced that the system of energy decentralization is the path that should be started in Kyiv.
And we believe that the Ministry of Finance should issue special domestic government bonds for 20 billion hryvnias with a targeted purpose — solving the issue of energy supply for the city of Kyiv and preparing the city for winter. This is not a gift or a political handout. This is a responsible budget decision.
And today our task is very simple — not to sort out relationships, but to ensure Kyiv is ready for the next winter. That is why we are ready to unite. Ready to participate. Ready to demonstrate what we demand in parliament — a coalition of national unity.
The Russians thought they could break Kyiv with missiles. They couldn’t. And it would be a shame if the capital was weakened not by missiles, but by bureaucracy and political deals.
Kyiv is a city that survived empires. And Kyiv will endure many “unbreakable,” “powerful” political ambitions. Because Kyivites are very cool. And the city is very cool.
And representing Kyiv is a great honor. But it is also a great responsibility.
* * *
Kyiv has always relied on people who do not wait for orders but take responsibility themselves. And I am proud that in our parliamentary team, European Solidarity and European Solidarity — Kyiv are such people.
We organize people, seek solutions, help Kyivites. We work day by day. Not for a striking image, but for effective work. Because the capital is the soul and heart of a warring country.
That is why we are ready to join the preparation of Kyiv for the next winter, to strengthen the capital’s energy resilience, to defend the city’s resources, and to offer professional solutions and our experience.
Our team has competence, experience, and the habit of acting and solving critical problems. Now Kyiv needs unity and action, not conflicts. Because Kyiv and Kyivites deserve strong, responsible, and professional work.
