Vitali Klitschko, former heavyweight boxing champion, has said he would bear arms alongside Wladimir, his brother and fellow ex-boxing champion, against Russia, following its invasion of Ukraine, their home country.

While speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Thursday, Klitschko said he was ready to defend his country’s sovereignty against enemies, foreign or domestic.

“I don’t have another choice; I have to do that. I’ll be fighting,” he declared during the interview.

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Klitschko, 50, who has been the mayor of Kyiv, Ukrainian capital, since 2014, is a former champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA), the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

“I believe in Ukraine, I believe in my country and I believe in my people,” he further said.

Wladimir, his brother, enlisted in Ukraine’s reserve army in early February, saying his love for his country compelled him to do it.

1/4 “No democracy without democrats“

Putin makes it clear that he wants to destroy the Ukrainian state and the sovereignty of its people. Words are followed by missiles and tanks. Destruction and death come upon us. That's it, blood will mix with tears.
➡https://t.co/89psny830m

— Klitschko (@Klitschko) February 24, 2022

On Thursday, he said the following on Twitter:

“The Ukrainian people are strong. And it will remain true to itself in this terrible ordeal. A people longing for sovereignty and peace. A people who consider the Russian people their brothers.

2/4
The Ukrainian people are strong. And it will remain true to itself in this terrible ordeal. A people longing for sovereignty and peace. A people who consider the Russian people their brothers. It knows that they basically do not want this war.

— Klitschko (@Klitschko) February 24, 2022

“It knows that they basically do not want this war. The Ukrainian people have chosen democracy.

4/4
This war against my country is not only the result of one man's madness, but also the result of years of weakness in Western democracies. This madness must be stopped now by stepping up deterrents. Our governments need to say things loud and clear.

— Klitschko (@Klitschko) February 24, 2022

“But democracy is a fragile regime. Democracy cannot defend itself; it needs the will of the citizens, the commitment of everyone. Basically, there is no democracy without democrats.”

In the early hours of Thursday, Russia launched an assault on Ukraine, firing missiles into its cities.

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Since Russia annexed the Southern Crimea Peninsula about eight years ago, Ukrainian forces have been locked in a war with Moscow-backed rebels.