Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko have both voiced their support to countryman Oleksandr Usyk, who decided to leave Ukraine to start training for a planned rematch with Anthony Joshua.

Last September, Usyk outboxed Joshua over twelve rounds to capture the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles.

Joshua would later exercise an immediate rematch clause.

The rematch was expected to take place in May - but that scenario was placed on hold when Usyk returned home to Ukraine to assist the local military with their resistance against the ongoing invasion by Russia.

Last week, Usyk announced that he was leaving Ukraine to start training for the Joshua rematch - which is targeted to take place in the month of June.

The Klitschko brothers, both of whom were heavyweight champions during their professional boxing careers, have both addressed the situation in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.

The Klitschko brothers, who are both former heavyweight champions, want their countryman to succeed.

Vitali, who has been mayor of Ukraine's capital of Kyiv since 2014, said - “A very important message could be carried through an event like this. We do not know if in three months we will exist. I actually have plans to speak to Oleksandr Usyk to give him advice if he decides to make the fight, to have some special messages that he can put out there.”

And Wladimir stated - “There are pros and cons, and it’s a hard decision to make for Oleksandr Usyk, But to have the Ukrainian flag raised and our anthem played and one of our ambassadors of our country out there in the world with the right mindset could be more positive than negative.

“We need support. Since the beginning of the war, the economy is down to nothing, but please don’t forget we are defending democratic principles of freedom and free choice.”