U2 is showing their support for Ukraine with what they do best: performing music. Two members of the Irish rock band, including Bono and The Edge, surprised residents of Kyiv with a 40-minute performance at the Khreshchatyk metro station on May 8. Photos, which can be seen here, show the musicians smiling, playing guitar, and singing as they wore black outfits in front of the gathered crowd.
“Your president [Volodymyr Zelenskyy] leads the world in the cause of freedom right now … The people of Ukraine are not just fighting for your own freedom, you’re fighting for all of us who love freedom,” Bono told the crowd of about 100 locals inside the metro station, according to Reuters.
The talented singer reportedly continued to rally the crowd during the performance by saying, “This evening, 8th of May, shots will ring out in the Ukraine sky, but you’ll be free at last. They can take your lives, but they can never take your pride.”
U2’s appearance in Kyiv comes just over two months since Russia invaded Ukraine. The forces focused on Kyiv until the end of March, when Russia then focused their forces on eastern Ukraine. Missile strikes have continued to be carried out since then and although some people have returned to Kyiv, red sirens still sound in the city on a regular basis.
Bono and The Edge aren’t the only celebrities who have showed support for Ukraine since the invasion. Angelina Jolie was also seen visiting the country recently. She walked into a coffee shop in the city of Lviv after touching down to visit hospitals and NGOs to help the injured and displaced after the invasion. At one point during her visit, she was forced to take cover as air raid sirens directed her to take safety as soon as possible, but luckily she turned out okay.
Sean Penn is also another celeb who has visited Ukraine since the invasion. He met with the president and attended government press briefings for his upcoming documentary, VICE.