On Sunday (08 May) Bono and The Edge performed a short concert in an air raid shelter in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. In the former subway station, some fans and soldiers were serenaded by the U2 musicians. In a tweet the band announced that they had been invited by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to perform there.
The audience present as well as media representatives filmed the special event where the artists expressed their solidarity with Ukraine. Several clips can be found online from the brief gig where they performed “With or Without You”, “Desire”, “Angel of Harlem”, “Vertigo” and Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me”. For the latter, they enlisted support from Taras Topolia, a well-known singer in Ukraine who is now a soldier defending his homeland against Russian invaders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpAS0p2eZGQ
“The people of Ukraine are not only fighting for their own freedom, they are fighting for the freedom of all of us,” Bono said. The U2 singer encouraged those in attendance that their destiny around the world is one of compassion and helpfulness. They also explained that although they had seen many cities, there was nowhere they would rather be than in Kyiv at the moment.
It’s not the first time U2 have shown solidarity with Ukraine. The band was also featured on Global Citizen’s Stand Up for Ukraine live broadcast, performing the song “Walk On” from the album All That You Can’t Leave Behind. Previously, Bono had also written a poem expressing his support for the Ukrainian people.