---

On October, 11, 2011, the German Marshall Fund hosted Vitali Klitschko, the current WBC heavyweight champion and a prominent Ukrainian politician, to discuss Ukraine’s European perspective as the leader of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform. He also addressed the sentencing of Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister of Ukraine who was sentenced to seven years in prison for abuse of office. Ivan Vejvoda, vice president of programs for the German Marshall Fund, served as moderator for the discussion. Klitschko opened by highlighting the 20th anniversary of Ukrainian independence and pointed out the importance of moving forward with democracy, specifically Ukraine’s desire to join the European Union. He talked wistfully about how Ukraine’s neighbors had outpaced Ukraine in terms of democratic progress and living standards. “In the `90s, we had same starting position as Poland,” he said. “They have made huge steps -- a big difference compared to Ukraine.” He said that 65% of the Ukrainian people favored integration with the EU and that, ultimately, in a democracy, it should be the people’s decision on the governing path the country should pursue.  During the question-and-answer portion, Klitschko addressed the Tymoshenko sentencing as “bad news” and that it is both “dangerous for those democratic gains we have made” and a step backward for Ukraine’s EU hopes.   He went on to point out the need for voices of opposition, saying that without one there cannot be a true democracy. He said Ukraine must play by the same rules as the EU and the United States in order for the country to move forward. He pointed to Egypt and Tunisia as “worst case” scenarios and said a similar situation must be avoided in Ukraine. On the topic of the formation of a “Eurasian Union” with Russia, Klitschko said that “Russia is a very important partner of Ukraine… but we have to base our future on our own interests.”  In tying his boxing and political careers together, Klitschko spoke of how, when he was a child, he told everyone, “One day I will beat Mike Tyson and be world champion.” While he never faced Tyson, he said that dream helped him become the boxer he is. He said it was a lesson for Ukrainians to keep dreaming of a stronger democracy. “Sooner or later we will reach our goal,” he said.