Mayor of Kyiv indicates support for twinning city with Dublin

The Mayor of Kyiv has indicated support for twinning Dublin City with the Ukrainian capital.

Ukraine has been devastated by a Russian invasion which has seen millions of their civilians displaced – at least 25,000 of which have come to Ireland as refugees.

In a show of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, Dublin City Councillors passed a motion last two months ago calling for the two capital cities to be twinned.

Read more: Ukrainian refugee resource centre to open in warehouse of Vicar Street

Lord Mayor Alison Gilliland said at the time the purpose of the twinning initiative was to allow Dublin to give “one to one support” to the city of Kyiv “once this horrible war does finish.”

Mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko, who is also a former world champion heavyweight boxer alongside his twin brother, has indicated support for the twining initiative.

In a correspondence between the two Mayors, which was obtained by Dublin Live, Mr Klitschko said Kyiv citizens “are very grateful” for Dublin and Ireland’s support.

He said: “There is an old saying that a friend in need is a friend indeed. The events of today demonstrate [to] us you are our real friend. We believe, the twinning arrangement will strengthen our union between the City of Dublin and the City of Kyiv.”

Approximately 3,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed in the war in Ukraine since it started in February.

Mayor Klitschko said it is hard to grapple with so many “friends” being killed and injured in Russia’s “merciless” invasion in his letter dated April 27.

He wrote: “During this period, we have seen many missiles and bombs, which attacked our civilian buildings. And is very, very hard to accept the fact that thousands of our Ukrainian citizens, our friends, are killed and injured.”

The former world champion boxer dominated the heavyweight division alongside his twin brother Wladimir from 2006 to 2015 in a period know as the Klitschko era.

Fine Gael Councillor James Geoghegan, who tabled the emergency motion to pair the cities, said at the time he never thought Russia would invade its neighbour.

He said: “We have a chance to demonstrate to Ukrainian people abroad, and at home, the deep ties that our people wish to foster with our fellow Europeans who are fighting to protect freedoms that we all enjoy.”

Read more: €400 payment for Irish households who take in Ukrainian refugees set to go to Cabinet

Read more: Ukrainian refugees clean up south Dublin park to give back to community

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