The mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, said in an interview with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to win for Russia all the countries that were in the former Soviet orbit, including the territory of the former GDR.

“He does not explicitly mention the GDR. But it's easy to imagine. “The GDR was part of the Soviet power orbit and Putin is known to have a special relationship with the GDR,” the mayor said.

Putin was an envoy of the KGB – the Soviet secret services – in Dresden (eastern Germany) when the Berlin Wall fell and paved the way for the reunification of Germany.

“Putin has this sick vision: he says that the greatest tragedy for him was the collapse of the Soviet Union. “He wants to rebuild the Soviet empire,” Klitschko explained.

Klitschko said that at first it had been difficult to explain the situation in Germany and the reasons why Ukraine needed help but that now the vast majority understood what was at stake.

“Today almost all Germans understand the danger that exists not only for Ukraine, but also for Germany. Before, no one could imagine a war between Russia and Ukraine, but it is a harsh reality.. Today no one can imagine a war in Germany, but in current times there are no guarantees,” he said.

Klitschko, on the other hand, reiterated the need to accelerate military aid since “for every delay Ukraine pays a high price.”