Ukrainian Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra have praised Sir Paul McCartney after he dropped Back in the USSR from his Glastonbury set list.
The band made their debut at the festival in the early hours of Saturday morning.
It was the Ukrainian band’s first ever performance in the UK, following their incredible win in Turin, Italy last month.
And they had nothing but praise for Macca’s decision to axe the song in light of Russia ’s invasion of Ukraine.
Frontman Oleh Psiuk told the Mirror: "We are very grateful for the support from a great musician like Paul McCartney. There have been artists from all around the world who have shown their support and we appreciate it. A lot of people follow and listen to their idols such so superstars like him expressing their support for Ukraine [in such clear ways] really helps us to promote our cause."
The Mirror revealed last week how the song will be missing from all Macca’s shows for the foreseeable future, including his headline performance tonight. Beatles legend Sir Paul is also expected to bring out a Ukrainian flag on stage tonight (Sat).
A source said last week: "The song is such a massive crowd favourite but with the horrors unfolding in Ukraine, it was a simple decision by Paul to make.
"It would be perverse to be singing a jaunty rock’n’roll song about Russia.
"Paul couldn’t in all conscience sing those lyrics when so many are being brutally massacred at the hands of Russia."
The song, written by Macca in 1968, is about a Russian spy returning home from America.
The lyrics include the line "and Moscow girls make me sing and shout".
Macca said in February shortly after Russia launched the invasion: “Remembering playing for our friends in Ukraine in Independence Square [in the capital Kyiv] in 2008 and thinking of them in these difficult times. We send our love and support.”
Psiuk said he was disappointed by the possibility of Eurovision not being held in the Ukraine next year. It comes as it’s been suggested that the UK could host the competition instead.
He said: "We were very unpleasantly shocked that there are talks about moving Eurovision to another country next year. It’s obviously something that we hoped would happen in Ukraine and we are disappointed to hear it might be moved to anywhere else.
"I want to say to the organisers to believe in our army. They are doing everything possible for this to happen in Ukraine next year. Perhaps Ukraine will become safer if we go ahead, and it’s important for our people to go on [with their lives] as normal. But mainly, we - Kalush Orchestra - would like it to be as it is supposed to be, we want to bring our victory home to Ukraine."
Speaking ahead of the performance, Psiuk said that playing at the famous festival was a "great opportunity for us to showcase Ukrainian music and culture. It’s a chance for us promote and spread Ukrainian culture - wherever we perform, it is our goal to show the world what Ukrainian culture is about."
He added: "We were actually fighting on the frontline in Ukraine for a long time before we won Eurovision. It is very important to us to showcase the beauty in Ukrainian music and culture because the enemy is currently trying to destroy it and we want the word to experience it as much as they can."
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