Antony Blinken, the United States Secretary of State, performed at a bar in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on Tuesday, drawing sharp criticism for his actions. Blinken’s impromptu performance of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” with a band at the Barman Dictat, a popular cocktail basement bar, occurred during a surprise visit to Kyiv amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The US official’s decision to take the stage has been met with widespread criticism, with many social media users condemning it as insensitive and tone-deaf. Some Ukrainians have also expressed dismay at what they see as poor judgment, given Russia’s recent push into Ukraine’s northeastern regions.
Svitlana Matviyenko, the executive director of the non-profit Agency for Legislative Initiatives, took to Facebook to criticize Blinken’s performance, calling it “inappropriate” and noting that it coincided with a new Russian offensive in the Kharkiv oblast. “Kharkiv region is being wiped from the Earth, people are leaving their homes, Kharkiv is under strike from air bombs. Sumy region is preparing, and a US top official is singing songs in a Kyiv bar,” she wrote.
Oleh Symoroz, a Ukrainian veteran who lost both legs in the conflict, described the performance as “as inappropriate as possible” and lamented the lack of support for Ukraine’s armed forces. “Not the right time, not the right time at all. So many people die every day because we don’t have enough weapons and enough support from our allies,” he wrote. “Therefore, such concerts, I’m sorry, are simply tactless and inappropriate. I advise the Secretary of State to visit a military cemetery instead of a bar.”
Bogdan Yaremenko, a Ukrainian politician, stated that Blinken’s performance was poorly timed. While appreciating the United States’ assistance, Yaremenko said: “But we also can’t unsee all that makes the impression that the United States performs for the free world is not rock and roll, but some other music similar to Russian chanson.”
Jimmy Rushton, a foreign policy expert in Kyiv, described the performance as “astonishingly tone-deaf.” “This isn’t supposed to be a [f—ing] vacation; Ukrainian soldiers are fighting and dying in large numbers right now along the frontline and Blinken is in a bar in Kyiv pretending to be a rockstar,” he tweeted.
Blinken’s performance also faced criticism from the Republican National Committee (RNC), which stated, “This is not a serious administration.” One social media user reacted, “The US Secretary of State abandoning professional dignity to sing a song called ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ at a people facing total demographic collapse thanks to that ‘Free World’, while their Armed Forces are disintegrating in real time, is embarrassingly fitting.”
Blinken’s visit to Ukraine was intended to demonstrate the United States’ support for the nation and included meetings with top authorities, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was the first official discussion since Congress approved a large foreign aid package that included $60 billion for Ukraine’s military and air defense systems.
