We all remember what happened in Mariupol and how the city resisted Russian aggression at the beginning of the war. How is Mariupol doing now?
It is a city that is devastated, it is ruined. 50% of the city no longer exists. But to understand it better, you need to know what Mariupol was before the invasion. It was a city that inspired. The city is inspired by the Ukrainian state and inspired by the Ukrainian state and other Ukrainian cities. And inspired by its development. Because in the Ukrainian state, one of the most important changes that had taken place was the decentralization reform. And Mariupol, realizing its main goal and mission, realized that we did not have much time, that we had to change quickly, and managed to do so.
Can you give examples?
When I became mayor in 2015, only 30% of Mariupol residents were proud of the city. I was a bit dissatisfied and offended by this. But it was also a motivator for these changes. And before the Russian invasion of Ukraine began at the end of 2021, surveys showed that satisfaction with the city, the level of love, had increased significantly. 89% of citizens were proud of their city. At the same time, Mariupol’s population had increased due to the changes. It was a kind of magnet that attracted people to the city. We have grown by 30%. It was a kind of recognition of our development. And people came from the occupied parts of Ukraine. We had another 130 thousand people. We never called them refugees or displaced persons, they were new citizens of Mariupol. And together we built new roads and modernized public transport. We could set the clock for them, they were always on time. People were inspired by the changes. New public services, cleaner streets, new parks, new social spaces for people. New schools, new daycare centers, new hospitals. People wanted to live in Mariupol. This Mariupol lives in my heart.
And now 50% has been destroyed…
All medical services have been destroyed, they no longer exist. Some hospitals still had medical equipment, but the Russian occupiers took it from the city and stole it. From the new, renovated schools they took interactive whiteboards… They removed everything from the city that could remind people of changes and developments. They killed and destroyed everything built by Ukraine. There is no life, no work, no medical services, no education, no clean water.
But are there people?
Yes, there are people. There are still 150 thousand people living under the occupation. They don’t live, they survive. They are waiting for Ukraine’s return. It is very difficult to talk about love for Ukraine in occupied Mariupol. It is dangerous to do this. And to make matters worse, Russia has still not stopped the ‘filtration process’ [uma forma de triagem de segurança obrigatória]. If you want to enter Mariupol, you must go through this process. And you can get in through the “filtration”, but you can’t get out. And they quickly removed all evidence of the war crimes they committed in the city. First they did it, let’s say, in a more humane way. They were demolishing the remains of the destroyed buildings, they found the bodies and placed them in graves. We could see this in mass graves. Now they don’t even do that anymore. They simply demolish the building, the cement and the bodies. Concealing crimes. But Mariupol still exists outside of Mariupol.
Similar?
In Ukraine, to support the internally displaced persons from Mariupol, we have opened 25 centers to support this population group in 17 Ukrainian cities. They provide social assistance, information, medical assistance, educational support, psychological support. And we provide humanitarian aid, such as food and hygiene products. Every day we provide services to 60,000 people in Mariupol. And together we made plans to return home.
And is this work done by the Association of Ukrainian Cities?
Yes, I am the leader of the Occupied and Liberated Cities Department of the Association. And together we developed a model for the renewal of the city of Mariupol. It consists of two parts. First, there is recovery. The plan answers a series of questions: How do we see Mariupol two years after its liberation? How quickly can we repair and rebuild schools, hospitals, guarantee drinking water, transport and so on? When can we go home? How many people will live in Mariupol two years after the liberation? One hundred experts worked on this plan for a year, which resulted in 154 projects. It will take 14,000 professionals to implement these plans and $750,000. The second part, the spatial development vision, answers the question: how are we going to revitalize Mariupol? How long will it take? How much money is needed to renovate the city? This is an issue we are still working on. A financial model is being formed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with the World Bank, where we point out all the damage caused by Russian aggression in Mariupol. We are working on a new economic model, a new economic vision for Mariupol, with the support of large accounting firms that already have experience, such as McKinsey and PricewaterhouseCoopers. And a new city vision, a new urban development plan, a Master plan to renew Mariupol. What helps answer the question: how old? And very carefully we say 20 years. And how much money? Also with great caution we say $14.5 billion. Imagine: 86 days of bombing and destruction by the Russian Federation, and to renew it we need twenty years. The price of this war is 20 years and 14.5 billion euros.
But everything we see here is only possible after Russia is defeated…
Yes, defeated, it is very important to say defeated. Emphasize that word.
But there was a lot of hope in the Ukrainian counter-offensive, which did not have the expected results. Are you losing hope that recovery is possible?
We must believe. A very important question was recently asked at the press conference between President Zelensky and President Biden. It’s crucial. Should Ukraine win? Or just not lose? It looks the same. But the meaning is completely different. And it is our shared responsibility. When we talk about a Ukraine that has not lost, we have no longer lost. We have already succeeded in stopping the enemy. We have already shown that the Ukrainian people can fight for our freedom, for our independence. We must look at what Russia has achieved in these almost two years. What else have they managed to conquer in the last two years, except at the beginning, when they suddenly occupied part of the country? Nothing, they didn’t conquer Bakhmut, they didn’t conquer Avdiivka. In two years, the world’s second largest army has achieved nothing. But we have to realize that they are more than us and that we do not lose. We have already managed to save and maintain our independence. We have preserved the Ukrainian nation. But back to the question: should we win? It’s a problem for everyone. Should the democratic world win? Will the truth overcome the lie? The answer is: always. But it takes time. And it depends on solidarity. We are ready to fight. And the world has already seen it. But we need support. Time is important. And the support we need is to win, for victory. And Ukraine will certainly win.
Talk about the importance of this support. For example, what impact does the fact that there is no agreement in the US on more support for Ukraine?
We return to the question: should we win? Or not to lose? Under the circumstances we are in now, Ukraine did not lose today. President Zelensky is doing everything possible so that we can keep the enemy at the point where we can stop him. And we succeed. The other question is: should we win? It’s a question for everyone who supported us in 2022. If the G7 says that Ukraine must win this war, that Putin must be punished for all the crimes he has committed on Ukrainian soil, then let us stick to what we agreed. Then everything will be alright. Ukraine will win. Democracy will win. The civilized world will win. And we realize this when Putin talks about any right to the territories taken from the Soviet Union. Who says he will end up in Ukraine? Which country will be next? If we do not show a common position of solidarity, the situation will repeat itself again. Where? In Poland, Estonia, Moldova, Georgia. Where will it be? Who can say? Only solidarity can stop this. That is why we talk about shared responsibility. It is not only our responsibility as Ukrainians. We pay the highest price. Our boys and girls protect our country. Our society feels this today. Our society feels the bombings. Cities like Mariupol, Bakhmut and Avdiivka no longer exist. How many more victims are needed? How much more destruction to realize that this aggression will not stop? Only together, as a force of solidarity, can we stop this. We are Ukrainians, we are ready. What do we ask? May they support us. At political, diplomatic and military levels. Please help Ukraine win.
There will be presidential elections in Russia in 2024, which will also take place in the occupied territories…
The first thing to understand is that this is not an election. It is impossible to call it elections. This is a person who puts himself in this position. Election is when there is choice, when there are multiple candidates. There have been no elections in Russia for a long time. Elections only exist in a democracy, such as the Ukrainian one. There are no elections in Russia and there will never be any. They can throw a number in the air. It does not matter. They will say that 300 to 500 thousand people voted in Mariupol, while there are not even that many people in the city. But for them it is very important to show that the people of Mariupol support him, the alleged president of Russia. It’s Russian propaganda. It has been active for 10 years. It is a very powerful machine that kills and destroys everything. Destroying the world, destroying democracy, destroying cities. And only we can stop it. Ukraine will win and Mariupol will be revived.
Source: DN
