Sting gives rare performance of his song Russians: "I never thought it would be relevant again"

Sting has been moved to give a rare performance of his 1985 solo single Russians in response to the war unfolding in Ukraine, introducing the live rendition with guitar and cello on Instagram and YouTube as a "plea for our common humanity".

“I’ve only rarely sung this song in the many years since it was written, because I never thought it would be relevant again,” Sting says before the performance. “But, in the light of one man’s bloody and woefully misguided decision to invade a peaceful, unthreatening neighbour, the song is, once again, a plea for our common humanity.

“For the brave Ukrainians fighting against this brutal tyranny and also the many Russians who are protesting this outrage despite the threat of arrest and imprisonment. We, all of us, love our children. Stop the war.”

In the Instagram post above. the musician also includes a warehouse address in Poland where supplies of clothes, food and medicines can be sent for distribution to aid the Ukrainian people via the country's armed forces:

Pol-Cel, Rampa Brzeska 63, 22-100 Chełm, Poland

Every box should be labeled 'HELP UKRAINE' and indicate the contents: 'Medicines', 'Clothes', 'Food', 'Humanitarian Aid.'

For more info, contact helpukraine.center

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Rob Laing
Guitars Editor, MusicRadar

I'm the Guitars Editor for MusicRadar, handling news, reviews, features, tuition, advice for the strings side of the site and everything in between. Before MusicRadar I worked on guitar magazines for 15 years, including Editor of Total Guitar in the UK. When I'm not rejigging pedalboards I'm usually thinking about rejigging pedalboards.