U2’s Message and Piano Tribute in Support of Ukraine and President Zelensky

U2 Supports Ukraine

U2 sent a powerful message in support of Ukraine and President Zelensky to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

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Anniversary of Invasion

Today (February 24), marks three years since Russia initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

European leaders are currently in discussions with Zelensky regarding the end of the conflict, following his statement indicating a willingness to resign in exchange for NATO membership for Ukraine.

His remarks follow the largest drone attack reported in the war, with Ukrainian officials stating that 267 drones were launched into the country last night (February 23), resulting in casualties.

U2 acknowledged the ongoing war, now entering its fourth year, by performing “My Friendly Epistle” written by 19th-century poet Taras Shevchenko, accompanied by piano music. In an Instagram post, Bono mentioned that he and Edge had initially reached out to Zelensky in 2022, shortly after the initial invasion.

“Everyone who believes in freedom and recognizes the peril we, Europeans, currently face is awake on this third anniversary of the invasion,” he wrote in the caption. “There’s much more to say, but that will come later.” Watch it below.

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Fasting U2 (@U2)

This follows US President Donald Trump’s recent comments, labeling Zelensky a “dictator without elections.” Zelensky was elected democratically in 2019, but under current Ukrainian legislation, elections have been suspended due to martial law that has been in effect since the onset of the war in 2022.

Trump faced backlash from global leaders for excluding Ukraine from negotiations after his aides met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia last week.

Bono on Freedom

Earlier this year, Bono shared his insights on the best approach to achieving freedom in “every part of the world, where health and humanity are at risk.”

The U2 frontman expressed his views in a new article for Atlantic, written just before receiving the presidential freedom medal in the United States in January.

This prestigious award is the highest civilian honor in the country, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, global peace, or other noteworthy public, state, or private efforts. Bono received the medal this year from Joe Biden for his pioneering activism against AIDS and poverty. Other recipients included Michael J. Fox and Denzel Washington.

In his article, Atlantic, Bono delved into the concept of “freedom” and how its significance evolves over time and across nations. One of the key topics he focused on was how the yearning for freedom is frequently articulated through music.

“When we speak about freedom in rock, we often refer more to libertinism than to liberation, though it undoubtedly has roots in Ireland from the 60s. We were frustrated by the freedoms we lacked: political freedom, religious freedom, and (without question) sexual freedom,” he noted.

“Rock and roll promised an unconstrained form of freedom, the international language of liberation (…). In U2, we aimed for our song ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’ to resonate with the freedom we strived for in our collaboration with Amnesty International. This is how we expressed our unyielding commitment.”