Madonna 2016 in London.
Photo: AFP via Getty Images, BEN STANSALL. All rights reserved.
Madonna’s Instagram profile is usually adorned with stylish selfies and posed photos that make her look younger than she is. But now the singer is also using her account to call on her followers to help Ukraine. She dedicates three posts to the current war situation and reaped praise and thanks from her fans for it.
Madonna: “I can’t take it”
With a compilation of scenes from her “Sorry” music video, shocking images from Ukraine and a collage that places Hitler’s face on Putin’s, she draws attention to the lies and manipulations of the Russian president. The video is accompanied by a remix of the 2005 hit. The line “I can’t take it” is repeated at a slower pace and reinforces her message: Don’t just accept the situation, but take action. “Let us not feel helpless when confronted with geopolitical acts of this magnitude. There are things we can do,” she appeals to her followers.
Another post shows photos from her “MDNA” tour in 2009, which saw her perform in Ukraine for the first time. In one of them she is holding the Ukrainian flag herself. On two other slides you can see happy Ukrainian fans, as well as Russian and Ukrainian concertgoers celebrating together, holding their respective national flags smiling at the camera. She writes: “We stand by Ukraine”.
“God bless you all. We pray for you.”
The latest post shows a bullet falling on a Ukrainian apartment building. The pop star captioned emotional words: “Does this video hurt you as much as it hurts me? Putin continues his senseless and horrific attacks on Ukraine!! Innocent people are killed and injured every day! Innocent people fight for their lives and learn how to use weapons to save their lives. Refugees crowd at the borders and are prevented from escaping. So many brave people stay there to fight.” She continues: “God bless you all. We pray for you.”
She also posts a link that lists 22 ways to help people in Ukraine. In the comments, the fans thank them for their commitment and also express their solidarity.
Alongside Madonna, ABBA and Dee Snider have also used one of their songs to show their support for Ukraine. Numerous other celebrities use social media to oppose Putin and take sides with Ukraine.