Brad Paisley Travels To Kyiv Amid Russia’s Ongoing War On Ukraine

Brad Paisley in currently in Kyiv, Ukraine to bolster support for the nation after a bombshell Pentagon leak revealed it could be out of air missile defense systems by next month. The country music singer travelled with West Virginia Senator, Joe Manchin, Alaska Senator, Lisa Murkowski and Arizona Senator, Mark Kelly to meet with President of the Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“There are risks you take going into a war zone, and I was made well aware of that. But I was more than willing to do it because I believe in these people, this cause, this freedom,” Paisley shared on social media. “In the middle of a full scale invasion, I never expected to find such a fiercely hopeful city, its culture and daily life on display. Defiant life. Determined to breathe free. A city under constant threat. Refusing to buckle."

"I fell in love with Kyiv immediately. And I got to do this all because I wrote a song asking about our similarities. Now I've seen them first hand. But it's so much more than that," he continued. "They idealize us. They wanna be us so badly. They believe in us. They see us as the goal. It's as if they're holding up a mirror that not only shows us who we are, but who we are capable of being as well.”

Paisley was named an ambassador for UNITED24's Rebuild Ukraine program in January.

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Manchin and Paisley also sang West Virginia’s state song Country Roads in Kyiv. Paisley stummed the guitar while the senator stood behind him under an umbrella, singing along.

“Too loud, Joe,” Paisley quipped playfully during the song. Manchin said in a statement that Paisley’s performance during the Kyiv visit “truly lifted the spirits of everyone present.”

At a press conference, Paisley added, “It’s an emotional experience seeing all of this firsthand. For me looking around this city and being here for the first time, I’m absolutely struck by the resilience of life and the beautiful nature of the way this city is trying to thrive in the middle of conflict. And also trying to be as free as they can be in this hard time. I think as an American, it is one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever seen, and I’m absolutely honoured to be here.”

WATCH: West Virginia’s State Song, “Country Roads,” is known and loved all over the world, and today, @BradPaisley brought this timeless tune to the streets of Kyiv 🎵 pic.twitter.com/kXRejrFiAB

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) April 12, 2023

Earlier this year, Paisley released, Same Here, featuring Zelenskyy. Same Here is a mostly acoustic number featuring poignant observations of an ordinary person living in California and how that life shouldn't be any different from a person living in Ukraine.

In a press release about Same Here (via The Hill), Paisley explained, "The song is grounded in observing life in the United States, then to people from other countries who speak different languages and to one across the ocean that’s at war. We start to realize how similar we all are.

"It’s heartbreaking watching this struggle in modern times for freedom and democracy and the ability to just simply be who they want to be in peace," he continued.

"And this song is something that I hope resonates not only with my fans and people in America but people anywhere that feel a similar desire to be free and safe and happy. Because I really do believe that as human beings, when you take away the banners that determine what country we all live in, we all want the same things."

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