Andy Burnham played a Smiths song after being handed a guitar by a soldier on his first visit to Ukraine as Prime Minister, today (August 24).
Footage from a Bloomberg journalist shows Mr Burnham playing part of a Smiths song in a mobile recording studio of the military and artistic unit in Ukraine, who perform on the front lines, in hospitals, and at rehabilitation centres. Soldiers also sang the former Greater Manchester Mayor an Oasis song, according to reports.
Music to lift spirits
The Labour Leader said music can help “lift spirits” on the front line as he visited Kyiv for a meeting of the coalition of the willing to mark the Independence Day of Ukraine.
During his visit, Mr Burnham also met the head of the military and artistic unit who perform on the front lines, in hospitals, and at rehabilitation centres, Cultural Forces Serial, Mikolay Siega.
Meeting residents and receiving an award
He later went to a shopping centre that was destroyed in a Russian attack, where he mingled and took selfies with residents.
During the event in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented Mr Burnham with an award recognising the UK’s support.
Zelensky's independence day speech
In his own independence day speech, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine would “not submit” to Russia, saying: “Ukrainians will not be cobblestones under the feet of tsars and rulers.”
Mr Burnham is expected to hold a meeting later on Monday with Mr Zelensky, who was the first foreign leader to visit 10 Downing Street under his premiership.
Political strife in Ukraine
But his visit comes as Mr Zelensky faces domestic political strife caused by a rift with his former defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who was sacked last month after reportedly falling out with the head of Ukraine’s armed forces.
Mr Fedorov, whose sacking triggered weeks of mass protests, has called for Mr Zelensky to hold elections, arguing democracy “should not be the hostage of Putin”. He has also called for Mr Zelensky to face questions over what he knew about alleged corruption in his inner circle.
Last week, Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities said they had uncovered a money-laundering plot, leading Mr Zelensky to sack one of his senior officials over their alleged involvement. The president has denied any involvement, telling reporters over the weekend: “The heads of anti-corruption agencies have zero questions for me. They understand perfectly well that I am not involved in anything like that.”
