During the concert, the U2 frontman praised Ukraine’s fight for “freedom” and stressed that the fight being fought by the Ukrainian people was not confined to a relatively small geographical area but resonated across the entire world.
“The people in Ukraine are not just fighting for your own freedom, you are fighting for all of us who love freedom,” Bono told the crowd, among whom were soldiers in military fatigues.
He also acknowledged Ireland’s own struggles and conflicts and the sometimes troubled relationship it has had with a much larger neighbor to the east, and he expressed hope that Ukraine would be at peace sooner rather than later.
“We pray that you will enjoy some of that peace soon,” the singer said.
Introducing Angel of Harlem, Bono told the crowd that of all the great cities and towns in the world, including Tokyo, Sydney, Chicago as well as “Athlone and Kinnegad”, there was “ nowhere in the whole world that we would rather be in today than in the great city of Kyiv”.
The setlist included U2 standards such as With or Without You and Desire but one stand-out moment came when Bono invited a Ukrainian soldier to sing along to Ben E King’s Stand By Me as a call for the world to support the Ukrainian struggle.
The singer, the guitarist, and members of the army sang the song, replacing the “Me” of the title with “Ukraine”.
“It’s some good emotions, that’s all,” said a member of the Ukrainian territorial forces in the audience.
