Johnny Marr has reacted to a clip of UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham enjoying a Smiths music on guitar with Ukrainian troopers throughout a latest journey to Kyiv.

The British PM not too long ago made the journey to the Ukrainian capital to reaffirm the UK’s help for the nation amid its ongoing struggle with Russia, and located himself among the many Ukrainian navy’s Cultural Forces division enjoying the Smiths’ Rusholme Ruffians with troopers, in a video that has since gone viral.

Reacting to the video in a brand new look on Absolute Radio, Smiths guitar legend Johnny Marr praises Burnham, calling it a “victory for the guitar”.

“I believe it’s an incredible factor. In all honesty, for me it’s like a victory for the guitar,” he says. “Simply the way in which I’m wired, I all the time suppose like that. I can’t fairly get my head round it. I don’t know whether or not satisfaction is the phrase, however it in all probability is.

“It’s type of past me to course of it actually, as a result of it could possibly be large, that. However I simply form of go, ‘How nice is the guitar?’ I believe, what an incredible instrument the guitar is. 

“My overwhelming feeling was that it was a victory for the guitar. I do know that this being political and clearly with the plight of Ukraine. The extra I give it some thought the extra I take into consideration how insignificant I’m in it, actually. Marr concludes: “Good on him.”

Rusholme Ruffians appeared on 1985’s Meat is Homicide. Andy Burnham has made no secret of his love of guitar music throughout his time as a politician, and has touted his love of traditional guitar bands together with the Beatles, the Stone Roses, Radiohead and extra.

Throughout his jam with Ukrainian troopers, the prime minister donned a T-style guitar from native Kyiv guitar firm WM Guitars, however Burnham has beforehand displayed his love of Gretsch and Gibson guitars.

Sam is the Affiliate Information Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Completely immersed in music tradition for almost all of his life, Sam has performed guitar for 20 years, studied music know-how and manufacturing at college, and likewise written for the likes of Guitar World, Complete Guitar, Metallic Hammer and MusicRadar.