| News for February 6 2026: Special Edition |
| Special Edition: Interview with Kelsie Kimberlin |
| Kelsie Kimberlin is an American-Ukrainian singer and songwriter who sings with a purpose – to raise awareness of the war in Ukraine, her mother’s birthland. On Friday, January 2, 2026, she filed the first-ever federal lawsuit against Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard under the State Sponsor of Terrorism Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act for the killing of her cousin, Andrii Rachok, in Avdiivka, Ukraine. The case was assigned to Judge Tanya Chutkan in the DC federal court. Here is a copy of the lawsuit. This landmark lawsuit will open the floodgates for thousands of Americans who have lost loved ones in Ukraine, and it seeks to hold Russia accountable. She is seeking a minimum of $40 million, along with a Declaratory Judgment that finds that the defendants acted illegally. Kelsie has been singing since the age of 8, when she joined a children’s choir. The choir created a music video for Yoko Ono’s “Peace Project” that won first prize and a $5,000 award at the Creative Nation Awards in 2004. Since then, she has been writing, recording, performing, and filming her videos. She founded the Kelsey Kimberlin Foundation, which raises funds for Ukraine. Just days before the beginning of the 2022 illegal Russian invasion, she recorded a video calling for people to pay attention to the situation in Ukraine and become a Ukrainian who stands face-to-face with the enemy. “I am calling on everyone to take a moment to reflect on what it is like to be Ukrainian, free from war. Close your eyes and imagine our verdant, fertile lands, long called the breadbasket of the world, because we provide sustenance to the planet not only with food, but with goodness, beauty, and humanity. Envision hundreds of miles of glorious sunflowers moving in unison with the sun and then lowering their petals for a peaceful night. Hear the bustling of vibrant cosmopolitan cities and listen as the wind carries the sounds of horses bringing wagons of fruits and vegetables to the village markets. See the children playing and laughing outdoors without a care in the world. This is the Ukraine that awaits us as long as all civilized nations and all civilized citizens on the planet unite in solidarity with us to oppose a broader war and regain our territory. Together, we are all one, because as Ukraine stands, so stands the entire free world.” |
| Since 2022, Kelsie has traveled to Ukraine three times. She has filmed three music videos about the horrors of the war and Ukrainian resilience. This past summer, she undertook a month-long trip to Ukraine, where she traveled for a week to the front line to deliver humanitarian supplies and drones to soldiers. Her documentary film, The Last Message, about her trip, has been accepted for the Auguri Film Festival in Turin, Italy, in the category of “Best Feature Documentary Film.” |
| JT: When I say ‘Ukraine,’ what is the first word that comes to mind? Victory. |
| JT: You have traveled often to Ukraine, spending summers there as a child, and, most recently, this past summer. How has your perception of Ukraine and Ukrainians changed? What changes have you seen over time? I spent every summer of my childhood in Ukraine with my family. I remember picking apricots off the trees and fields of sunflowers. Playing with my cousins. Swimming in the Sea of Azov. I am saddened that my future children will never have that experience. My family’s home, gardens, villages and towns have been destroyed by drones and bombs. There is nothing left physically of my childhood memories. But what is there is a strong sense of pride in being Ukrainian – embracing and amplifying its culture, language, and history. A fortitude of strength and a can-do and will-do attitude that permeates the country – you just feel it. I hear it on the streets of Kyiv–internally displaced persons, whose first language was Russian, now speaking Ukrainian, making the effort to learn their country’s language. A pride in and embracing of their Ukrainian heritage. |
| JT: At the 2022 Grammys, Ukrainian President Zelensky said, “The war. What is more opposite to music? The silence of ruined cities and killed people…. Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals. Even to those who can’t hear them. But the music will break through anyway. We defend our freedom. To live. To love. To sound.” He ended it with an impassioned call to action, “Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story. Tell the truth about this war on your social networks, on TV. Support us in any way you can. Any – but not silence. And then peace will come.” How did his call to fill the silence impact your songwriting and videos? It is critical not to be silent. From an early age, when I participated in Yoko Ono’s Peace Project, I understood how songs, lyrics, and music can have such meaning to others. So many Ukrainian musicians have had to put aside their instruments, their creativity, and their voices to pick up arms to defend their homeland. I write and sing for them – to fill the silence, to hold their space currently vacant due to their absence. My music, my songs, are anthems of resistance, challenging oppressive forces with every chord and lyric. My song, We Are the Promise represents my belief in the power of the word and the power of music. JT: What is The Kelsie Kimberlin Foundation? Why was it created? How has it evolved since its founding? What is its primary focus? The foundation is dedicated to assisting injured soldiers and civilians, journalists, musicians, and many others affected by the war. The foundation, which is registered in the US, has several goals. First, to assist Ukrainian musicians and their families. Many musicians have put their careers on hold to join the Armed Forces, and many paid the ultimate price, while others were injured. I was able to meet with and interview the world-famous Ukrainian singer, Jamala, on my latest trip. She won the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with her song “1944“. In November 2023, Russia added Jamala to its wanted list. It’s absurd, but the Russians know the power of music and words. The second project, which I’m working on through the foundation, is a one-stop platform called “Adopt A Ukrainian City,” which will list every region, city, and village in Ukraine, including all the repair and rebuilding needs. And finally, the foundation aims to build a state-of-the-art medical facility that specializes in the trauma of war injuries. I work in coordination with Ukrainian NGOs, Ukrainian leaders, military personnel, and musicians to ensure that the Foundation is working to build a better future for Ukraine. Please donate to the foundation here. JT: You have a full-length documentary soon to be released. Could you speak about it and the experience of filming in a war-afflicted country? Is there a particular event or place where you were filming that stands out to you even today? I went to Ukraine to find answers about my cousin’s death. Andrii Rachok, my cousin, with whom I spent every summer in Ukraine, was 20 years old when he volunteered to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces; he was so talented and dedicated that he was asked to join the elite Third Separate Assault Brigade. He was killed 6 months later, on February 22, 2024, during an intense ten-day battle in Avdiika, Ukraine, when he was injured by mortars and drones. Because of the intensity of the terrorist attacks, his comrades were unable to quickly rescue or evacuate him, and he died. |
| He volunteered – he was not conscripted – he volunteered for the army. I was angry, worried – why did he volunteer? The documentary I am working on for release later in 2026 is titled The Last Message. Andrii had called me and left a message; I didn’t return his call. The next thing I knew, Andrii had been killed. I still am angry at myself for not picking up the phone, for not calling him back. So many families in Ukraine face the same despair I do – missing a call or a text, not calling back, and then never having the opportunity to do so. It is a hole in my heart. So, I went to Ukraine to understand why he, and so many others, volunteer when they have the option not to. Why do people stay in the occupied territories? What I found and witnessed was not just resiliency, but hope and a belief that Ukraine would win and that life could go on, without war and terror. I was fortunate to have had a strong team with me, including a security team which allowed me to travel to occupied lands, to villages close to the frontlines to interview those who had stayed behind. Their stories must be told. Their stories must be heard. |
| I visited Kherson, where the Russians had bombed a maternity hospital – not a military target – a maternity hospital. The director working with her team moved everything necessary to the basement so that women could still receive the medical care they needed for their pregnancies and deliver their babies. I asked the director why she stayed – why not leave to go to a safer place? She responded that the children born there, in the hospital in Kherson, were the future of a Ukrainian Kherson. JT: What is a critical need of Ukraine today? Victory. Ukraine needs a no-fly zone. More weapons. More drones. Without Ukrainians and Ukraine’s armed forces standing defiantly against Russia’s aggression, I believe that Europe would be fighting the next World War. Without Ukraine, there is no free Europe. Finally, Ukraine must have the means to hold Russia accountable for its actions. My lawsuit means to do that – to hold Russia accountable for the deaths, not only for my cousin, but for all those who have died defending their homes from this illegal, vicious invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign and proud country. Please support my work and donate to the Kelsie Kimberlin Foundation here. For more information on Kelsie and her work and music: Website Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Twitter YouTube SoundCloud TikTok |
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