Kyiv's mayor: 'We defend our city, our houses, our families'

Vitaly Klitschko, mayor of Kyiv, said the people of Ukraine remain strong and defiant in the face of Russia's invasion but need help from around the world.

"We need unity, we need pressure, we need sanctions, we need the weapon support," said Klitschko on ABC's "This Week," adding: "We defend our city, our houses, our families."

Klitschko, previously best known to the world in his prior incarnation as a boxing champion, struggled a bit to get his words out in English but made it clear that he believed his citizenry was "very, very motivated" in the face of the brutal Russian invasion to defend their besieged city.

"It's no secret it is a target for aggressors, the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv," he said. "That’s why they try to make circle around our city."

He also reacted viscerally to the statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine's future as an independent state could be in jeopardy. Klitschko said his country did not want to just be some part of a resurrected Soviet Union.

"Ukraine is not just land," he said.