Sophia Michaels
Russia has invited Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters — who has never held office, but has been involved in left-field political rants in the past — to speak to diplomats at the United Nations about the delivery of weapons to Ukraine on Wednesday, according to a Reuters report.
“Let’s see what he will say. He has a position and you will hear it tomorrow,” said Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, per Reuters. “Perhaps he will sing to us, too.”
Waters has been under fire by supporters of Ukraine for supporting Russia, after he shared a letter written to the Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska on his website last September. He also recently spoke with a German newspaper, shared by Waters on his site, where he voiced controversial views on Israel, Putin, and Russia. He also said he was “really, really sad” that his former bandmates recorded a protest song with Ukrainian musician Andrij Chlywnjuk.
Among those to denounce Waters is his former Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour. On Monday, Gilmour reposted a tweet by his wife Polly Samson — who wrote several of the band’s tracks — that denounced Waters’ support of Russia.
“Sadly @rogerwaters you are antisemitic to your rotten core,” wrote Samson on Twitter. “Also a Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac. Enough of your nonsense.” Gilmour quote-tweeted her post, and wrote, “Every word demonstrably true.”
Last year, Waters also spoke with Rolling Stone about being on a “kill list that is supported by the Ukrainian government.” During the interview, Waters suggested that NATO is responsible for Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine but positioned that his advocating for Palestine is partially rooted in his belief that some Jewish people in the U.S. and U.K. are responsible for the actions of Israel, “particularly because they pay for everything.”
“I can live with myself and go to sleep at night knowing that the story that is being sold by the Western media is propaganda, and it is not the truth. I know the truth,” he said. “And I’m sure I’m right about that.”
Meanwhile, an unnamed U.N. Security Council diplomat criticized Russia’s decision to invite Waters to speak, telling the outlet: “Russian diplomacy used to be serious. What next? Mr. Bean?”
