Blinken performs cover of 'Rockin in the Free World' with Kyiv band while visiting Ukraine

During the music set at a local bar, Blinken was introduced by the band as the “biggest friend of Ukraine."

Published: May 14, 2024 4:51pm

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken finished his first day in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday by performing a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin in the Free World" with a local band.

Blinken visited the war-torn country this week to help boost the country's morale and emphasize the America's continued support for Ukraine amid its war with Russia. The visit comes amid a fierce new Russian offensive, according to the Associated Press.

During the music set at a local bar, Blinken was introduced by the band as the “biggest friend of Ukraine,” according to The Hill. Blinken has performed other musical acts in the past, but this is the first in front of a foreign audience. He previously performed at a State Department event last year, where he did a rendition of the Muddy Waters classic “Hoochie Coochie Man.”

Blinken also met with Ukrainian leaders on Tuesday, including President Volodymyr Zelensky. The surprise visit is the first since Congress passed a massive foreign defense bill that included $60 billion in additional aid for Ukraine. It also included billions for Israel in its war with Hamas, and for Taiwan.

The secretary also visited students at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute to help boost morale as the war rages into its third year. The war broke out when Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022.

“We meet at a critical moment,” Blinken told the college students. "The coming weeks and months will demand a great deal of Ukrainians, who have already sacrificed so much. I’ve come to Ukraine with a message: You are not alone.”

Zelensky has thanked the U.S. for its additional aid, but also requested two Patriot air defense systems that would help protect Kharkiv, where Russian attacks have escalated, according to the Associated Press.

“The people are under attack: civilians, warriors, everybody," Zelensky said. "They’re under Russian missiles."

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.