US Secretary of State Antony Blinken today played the classic rock song “Rockin’ in the Free World” at a Kiev bar and said much of the world supports Ukraine in its war with Russia. .
Blinken is visiting the Ukrainian capital this week to show support for U.S. allies in the face of new Russian missile attacks.
He took to the Berman Diktat stage and performed a Neil Young song released in 1989, just before the fall of the Berlin Wall, with the band 19.99.
Before the play he said: “Your soldiers, your people, especially in Kharkov in the northeast, are suffering tremendously. But they need to know, and you need to know, the United States is with you and many countries of the world are with you. They are fighting not just for a free Ukraine, but for a free world. And the free world is with you.”
Mr. Blinken watched most of the “19.99” set before the lead singer introduced him as a “great friend of Ukraine,” and they performed a song together on stage.
The song was first performed at a time when the Soviet Union was rocked by protests. Eventually, the Soviet Union collapsed and many countries, including Ukraine, became independent.
19.99 frontman Dmitry Temni was impressed with Blinken’s guitar skills, saying, “He played well.”
The band was followed by the Ukrainian Cultural Army, a group of Ukrainian veterans who performed in military uniform. It was established in 2022 with the aim of boosting morale in Ukraine after the Russian invasion, and has both a civilian and military wing.
Blinken is the first senior US official to visit Ukraine after the US. Parliament passed a $61bn (£48bn) military aid package last month after months of delays as Russia gained the upper hand on the battlefield.
Blinken arrived in Kiev by train early Tuesday on a previously private visit that comes as Russia launches a ground invasion into the northern Kharkov region, opening a new front and reinforcing the number of Ukrainian soldiers. It will happen in a few days.
Kiev has been at a disadvantage on the battlefield for months as Russian forces slowly advance, taking advantage of Ukraine’s lack of troops and artillery.
Military aid from Washington, Kiev’s main backer, was blocked by Republicans in the US Congress and delayed for months, but was finally allowed to be voted on last month and passed with support from both parties.
Additional reporter Reuters.