US Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the stage with a Ukrainian band at a bar on Tuesday during a surprise trip to Kiev, drawing applause from the audience but some criticism online from people who disapproved of the performance. .
The mixed reaction reflected Ukrainians' recognition of the critical role that U.S. support plays in the war against Russia, as well as growing concern among civilians about battlefield losses and intensifying Russian missile and drone attacks.
Blinken, who met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit and pledged unwavering U.S. support for Kiev, referred to military difficulties in northeastern Ukraine before performing a rendition of “Rockin' in the Free World.” , by Neil Young.
“Your soldiers, your citizens, especially in the northeast, in Kharkiv, are suffering tremendously,” he told the audience at Barman Dictat in central Kiev.
“But they need to know, you need to know, that the United States is with you, that much of the world is with you. And they are fighting not just for a free Ukraine, but for the free world, and the free world is with you too.”
Despite these words, some Ukrainians said that the presentation, which was published on social media, did not come at a good time, given the harsh reality of the war that millions of people are living through.
“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s night in Kiev can be described in one word: inappropriate,” Svitlana Matvienko, executive director of the Agency for Legislative Initiatives, said on Facebook.
“With all due respect to the allies, with all gratitude for the help provided… I was offended by this performance as a Ukrainian citizen whose loved ones are giving up everything so that we can resist.”
The mood in Ukraine, where the war with Russia is now in its third year, has become increasingly pessimistic.
Russian forces are slowly advancing in the eastern region of Donbas, attacking on a new front in the northeast and increasing troops in the north. US military aid has been delayed for months and Kiev desperately needs more air defenses.
Serhiy Marchenko, a blogger with more than 34,000 followers on Facebook, said the presentation did not go over well.
“We are on a different wavelength. I would like to see more understanding from allies,” he wrote on the platform.
Source: CNN Brasil
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