The Other stage at Glastonbury Festival opened this morning with a video message from Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky.
His message was played to festivalgoers on a screen, ahead of The Libertines taking to the stage to perform.
In videos shared on social media, Zelensky can be heard saying: “Glastonbury is the greatest concentration of freedom these days and I ask you to share this feeling with everyone whose freedom is under attack...
“Help Ukrainians who are forced to flee their homes because of the war...
“Put pressure on all the politicians you know to help restore peace in Ukraine.”
The eastern European nations have been embroiled in war for the past four months, since Russia’s president Vladimir Putin ordered a “strategic military operation” into Ukraine, trying aggressively to capture strategically important cities, including the capital Kyiv.
The fighting has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers, with BBC News reporting that number is as high as 200 troops daily.
Zelensky’s appearance at the festival comes ahead of Ukrainian Eurovision winners, Kalush Orchestra, performing on the Truth stage later tonight. See the full Glastonbury lineup here and find out how to watch it all on the BBC here.
