Music show for Ukraine: "We stand by your side"

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  Kalush Orchestra Band, winners of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, perform at the charity event "Save Ukraine - #StopWar" at the Brandenburg Gate.

• Kalush Orchestra Band, winners of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, perform at the charity event "Save Ukraine - #StopWar" at the Brandenburg Gate.

• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) speaks via video message at the charity event "Save Ukraine - #StopWar" at the Brandenburg Gate.

• Kalush Orchestra Band, winners of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, perform at the charity event "Save Ukraine - #StopWar" at the Brandenburg Gate.

• Kalush Orchestra Band, winners of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, perform at the charity event "Save Ukraine - #StopWar" at the Brandenburg Gate.

• Several thousand people stand at the event "Save Ukraine - #StopWar" at the Brandenburg Gate.

With a show in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, music stars from Ukraine commemorated the war that has been raging in their homeland for almost 100 days and appealed for donations for hospitals.

Around 15,000 spectators watched the telethon on site on Sunday evening, organisers and police estimated. Ukrainian television stations also broadcast the charity event live, and stations in other countries also took it over.

Federal Chancellor Scholz: "We stand by your side"

During the show at the Brandenburg Gate, video messages from numerous international celebrities as well as politicians were shown, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The SPD politician assured the people in Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia, of Germany's solidarity. "We stand by your side," he said in English. "We are with you in our hearts and thoughts - today just as we have been every day since Russia attacked your country."

Together with friends and partners, Germany was providing financial support to ensure that the Ukrainian economy did not collapse, Scholz said. Germany is sending weapons, and almost 800,000 Ukrainians have found refuge here. In addition, plans are being made for reconstruction after the war. "Because this war will end," Scholz said. "We stand united - for Ukraine, for freedom, the rule of law and dignity. As European sisters and brothers."

Performance by the ESC winning band Kalush Orchestra

This year's winners of the Eurovision Song Contest, the Kalush Orchestra, had a performance that was cheered by the live audience. They performed their song "Stefania", with which they won the 66th ESC in Turin a fortnight ago. Shortly before the performance, the musicians announced on Sunday that they had auctioned off their competition winner's trophy to benefit the army of their home country. The proceeds from the fundraising show in Berlin, on the other hand, are intended for hospitals in twelve Ukrainian regions that are treating the injured during the Russian war of aggression, the country's embassy in Germany announced. They could use the money to purchase medical equipment such as X-ray machines.