After the initial shock of Putin’s attack on Ukraine, Natalia Klitschko, wife of Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko, began helping the victims.
Hamburg/Kyiv – “If I left, it would be treason and I could never look in the mirror again,” said Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kiev, in a recent interview with Welt am Sonntag. Shortly after the start of the Ukraine war, he also declared that if necessary he would take up arms himself. His wife Natalia Klitschko, on the other hand, stayed in Hamburg, where the family has a second home.
In an interview with the editorial network Germany (RND), the 48-year-old has now spoken about concerns about her family and German willingness to help refugees.
| Surname | Natalia Klitschko |
|---|---|
| Born | February 26, 1974, Brovary, Ukraine |
| job | Model, singer and yoga teacher |
“It was clear that Vitali can never leave Kyiv. He rules the city, the people need him,” she explains. The first week of the war was very difficult for her family. “Our children were very afraid for their dad. Like all of us, they just watched the news and always wanted to know how he was doing,” explains the singer. She is in daily contact with her husband, who is in Kyiv, and follows his social media channels. There he recently published an emotional video message about the victims of the war in Ukraine.
Despite the war in Ukraine, the Klitschko children are trying to find their way back into everyday life
Their children Max (16), Elizabeth-Victoria (19) and Yegor-Daniel (21) no longer live with their mother, but temporarily came back to her. Now everyone is trying to find their way back to normal despite the difficult situation. However, a feeling of guilt about being safe during the Ukraine conflict* remains.
“Fortunately, I have good friends who then said to me: ‘Natalia, you can cry now – but that doesn’t help anyone. You’re much better at giving your voice to the Ukrainians.’” she recalls. She then began to speak out publicly, organize help and organize accommodation for refugee families.
The willingness to help in Germany is enormous. Concerns about a third world war* probably also contribute to this, suspects Natalia Klitschko: “I can tell you why the Germans – and many other Europeans too – feel the way they do about the Ukrainians. It’s now clear to many Europeans: if this doesn’t stop in the Ukraine, any country can be next.” (Tanja Koch) *hna.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA .
