Brad Paisley Visits Ukranian President With Manchin
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U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., led a bipartisan Senate delegation to Ukraine to visit its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - and he had with him another special Mountain State guest.
Country music star and Glen Dale native Brad Paisley was part of the visiting group. Paisley is an ambassador for the UNITED24 program, launched by Zelenskyy as the main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of rebuilding and restoring homes damaged by Ukraine's war with Russia.
During the visit, Paisley performed his new song "Same Here," released earlier this year. The song features an audio recording of a conversation between Paisley and Zelenskyy. Paisley also sang a Ukranian-language folk song.
During the visit, Manchin and Paisley gifted Zelenskyy with a West Virginia University hat adorned with the "Flying WV." Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, also were on the trip. The delegation met with Ukrainian leaders on a variety of topics, including military readiness, energy security, accountability of foreign assistance and the rebuild of Ukraine.
"The Ukrainian people continue to show unimaginable courage in the face of Vladimir Putin's unjust war," Manchin said. "I was honored to meet with President Zelenskyy and members of his cabinet in Kyiv to learn firsthand about the challenges they face as this war rages on.
"And it was my pleasure to travel with West Virginian and UNITED24 Ambassador Brad Paisley and witness his performance that truly lifted the spirits of everyone present," he added. "The level of patriotism, professionalism, and sheer endurance of the Ukrainian people is inspiring. After this visit, I am even more convinced that defeating Vladimir Putin and ending his ruthless war against the Ukrainian people must remain our top priority."