Culture
29 Jun 23

Ukraine's Official Fundraising Platform announces merch collaboration with Bono

One year of full-scale Ukraine war protest in Dublin. 24th of February 2023. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

All net profits from the sale of this limited-edition collection will go to United24, a Ukrainian government-run platform who provide life-saving equipment for Ukrainian medical workers. Link to purchase the merchandise is below.

United24 announced the launch of a limited-edition collection of merchandise featuring an illustration by Bono of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today.

The piece, created for the June cover of The Atlantic magazine, will be sold on t-shirts, hoodies and a lithograph by the official fundraising platform of Ukraine’s government to raise funds for aid in war-torn Ukraine.

United24 have specified that all net profits from the sale of this limited-edition collection will go to providing life-saving equipment for Ukrainian medical workers, who have worked relentlessly since the Russian invasion began. The Ukrainian government-run platform has chosen to direct funds raised by this special collection specifically to the purchase of ambulances.

Bono created the portrait of President Zelenskyy for a story in The Atlantic examining how the outcome of the war in Ukraine will affect democracy around the world. The singer created the illustration of Zelenskyy and placed it against a yellow and blue Ukrainian backdrop, along with a quote from the President: “The choice is between freedom and fear.” The image and quote will now be available across a set of 5 items to raise funds for United24.

Bono’s illustration of President Zelenskyy for the June cover of The Atlantic is featured on a new limited-edition merch collection to raise funds for UNITED24 to purchase ambulances in Ukraine. The limited-edition merch collection includes t-shirts, hoodies, and a lithograph.… pic.twitter.com/BxtDY8ZobW

— U2 (@U2) June 29, 2023

On being asked to design the Atlantic cover of Zelenskyy, Bono said that he tried to create a "caricature of character".

"In the case of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, we have burdened him with impossible expectations - and impossibly, he has not let us down," explained Bono. "I suppose that’s because President Zelenskyy is not now one person, he’s the Ukrainian people. How do you draw that? Well, you can’t. So I tried to make an icon of his visage instead. A few squiggles and I just got out of the way.”

In May last year, Bono and Edge traveled to Ukraine at the request of President Zelenskyy to perform in Kyiv as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

The five limited edition items raising vital funds for UNITED24 can be purchased here.