Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko is warning that Ukraine’s future as an independent nation remains “an open question” as massive power outages grip the capital amid intensified Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. In a rare public break with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Klitschko accused the central government of undermining the city’s response to the crisis. The energy emergency comes as a major corruption scandal shakes Ukraine’s leadership and Russia claims new battlefield gains ahead of U.S.-mediated peace talks. With winter conditions worsening and political tensions rising inside Kyiv, the war is entering a volatile new phase.