KYIV (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken took to the stage with a Ukrainian band at a bar late on Tuesday during a surprise trip to Kyiv, drawing applause from the audience but some criticism online from people who felt the performance was “tone-deaf”.
The mixed reaction reflected Ukrainians’ recognition of the key role U.S. support plays in the war against Russia as well as growing concern among civilians over mounting battlefield losses and intensified Russian missile and drone attacks.
Blinken, who met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during his visit and vowed unwavering U.S. support for Kyiv, referred to military difficulties in northeast Ukraine before he performed a rendition of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free…
