Pink Floyd star Roger Waters addresses UN at Russia’s request – after denying ‘incendiary’ claims in row with ex-bandmate
Pink Floyd star Roger Waters has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called for a ceasefire – but also said he believes the war was provoked – during an address to the UN Security Council at Moscow’s invitation.
The veteran musician was denounced by Ukraine‘s UN ambassador as “another brick in the wall” of Russian “disinformation and propaganda”, in reference to his former band’s most famous song, following his speech.
It comes amid an ongoing row between the Pink Floyd co-founder and the band’s guitarist and singer David Gilmour, over issues including comments he has made on Israel and the Ukraine war.
Roger Waters addressed the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York
Russia called the meeting on Wednesday to discuss the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and asked Waters, who argued against the Western supply of arms to Kyiv in a letter published on his website in September, to brief.
The rocker, 79, also recently gave an interview to a German newspaper, which was translated into English on his own website, in which he said about Vladimir Putin: “According to independent voices I listen to he governs carefully, making decisions on the grounds of a consensus in the Russian Federation government.”
He added: “I wonder: is Putin a bigger gangster than Joe Biden and all those in charge of American politics since World War II? I am not so sure. Putin didn’t invade Vietnam or Iraq? Did he?”
When asked about his former bandmates recording with Ukrainian musician Andriy Khlyvnuk, he said he felt “really, really sad” as it “encourages the continuation of the war”.
Appearing virtually to address the security council at the UN headquarters in New York, Waters condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as illegal, but also said it “was not unprovoked”, according to the Reuters news agency. He condemned “the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms”, but did not give specifics.
“The only sensible course of action today is to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine,” Waters said.
Credentials to speak on security issues questioned
Richard Mills, the deputy US ambassador to the United Nations, acknowledged Waters’ “impressive credentials as a recording artist”, but said his qualifications to speak on arms control or European security issues were “less evident”.
Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the council: “How sad for his former fans to see him accepting the role of just a brick in the wall – the wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda.”
(L-R): Pink Floyd stars David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and the late Richard Wright reunited for the Live 8 Concert in London in 2005. Pic: Hubert Boesl/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
Waters was one of the co-founders of Pink Floyd with Nick Mason, Richard Wright and Syd Barrett, but left in 1985 – leading to legal battles over the use of the band’s name.
The influential prog rock group reunited for Live 8 in 2005 but Waters has not performed with them since.
What has Waters said?
His comments on Russia and the war, as well as comments on Israel, have sparked criticism.
Sharing the article with Berliner Zeitung on Sunday, the star said it had been published “against the backdrop of the outrageous and despicable smear campaign by the ISRAELI LOBBY to denounce me as an ANTI-SEMITE, WHICH I AM NOT, NEVER HAVE BEEN and NEVER WILL BE.
“Against [the] backdrop of them trying to silence me because I lend my voice to the seventy five year old fight for equal human rights for all my brothers and sisters in Palestine/Israel, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion or nationality.”
On Monday, Gilmour’s wife Polly Samson – a lyricist who helped write several Pink Floyd songs for their 1994 album The Division Bell – criticised him on Twitter, accusing him of being “antisemitic” and a “Putin apologist”, among other claims.
Gilmour, who has a Ukrainian daughter-in-law and grandchildren, retweeted and liked her post, adding: “Every word demonstrably true.”
A statement in response was later shared by Waters’ official Twitter account, saying: “Roger Waters is aware of the incendiary and wildly inaccurate comments made about him on Twitter by Polly Samson which he refutes entirely. He is currently taking advice as to his position.”
Read more:
Pink Floyd release song for Ukraine – first new music in almost 30 years
‘Leave them kids alone’: Why Waters and the Ukrainian first lady have fallen out
‘He thinks he owns Pink Floyd’: Waters re-ignites feud with Gilmour after ‘website ban’
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph published on Wednesday, Waters revealed he has re-recorded a new version of The Dark Side Of The Moon, the band’s seminal 1973 album, without any involvement from his former bandmates.
Speaking to the Telegraph about his forthcoming vinyl release of the album, Waters said he had “no idea” how to get around copyright issues, and that he remade it “because not enough people recognised what it’s about”.
He also spoke about his views on the Ukraine war, reportedly saying it would be “f****** insane” to believe that Russia’s invasion was unprovoked.
He also said: “The Ukraine… is a deeply divided country. In fact, it’s not really a country at all, it’s only been there since Khrushchev, 1956. So it’s a patchy sort of vague experiment.”
Sky News has contacted representatives for Waters and Gilmour for comment.
Drummer Zak Starkey has said he is “surprised and saddened” after parting ways with The Who following recent charity shows at the Royal Albert Hall.
The musician, who is the son of The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and his first wife, Maureen Starkey, had been with the band since 1996, when he joined for their Quadrophenia tour.
He was introduced to drumming as a child by “Uncle Keith” – The Who drummer and family friend Keith Moon, who died in 1978.
Pic: Carsten Koall/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
Earlier this week, the band issued a statement saying a “collective decision” had been made about his departure. It came after their Teenage Cancer Trust shows in March.
A review of one gig, published in the Metro, suggested frontman Roger Daltrey – who launched the annual gig series for the charity in 2000 – was “frustrated” with the drumming during some tracks.
Now, Starkey has issued a statement to Rolling Stone, saying he is “very proud” of his near 30 years with The Who.
“Filling the shoes of my Godfather, ‘Uncle Keith’ has been the biggest honour and I remain their biggest fan,” he said. “They’ve been like family to me.”
In January, Starkey suffered a blood clot in his right leg and a performance with his other band Mantra Of The Cosmos – which also features Shaun Ryder and Bez from Happy Mondays, and Andy Bell of Ride and Oasis – was cancelled.
Referencing this in his statement to Rolling Stone, Starkey said: “I suffered a serious medical emergency with blood clots in my right bass drum calf. This is now completely healed and does not affect my drumming or running.”
He continued: “After playing those songs with the band for so many decades, I’m surprised and saddened anyone would have an issue with my performance that night, but what can you do?”
Starkey said he planned to “take some much needed time off with my family” and focus on the release of Mantra Of The Cosmos single Domino Bones, which features Noel Gallagher, as well as his autobiography.
“Twenty-nine years at any job is a good old run, and I wish them the best,” he added.
Starkey has also previously played with Oasis, Lightning Seeds and Johnny Marr.
While Daltrey starts a solo tour at the weekend, The Who have two shows planned for Italy in July but no full tour. Details of a replacement for Starkey have not been announced.
Entertainment
Muscles from Brussels Jean-Claude Van Damme sends ‘big kiss’ to Putin with ambassadorial job request
Jean Claude Van Damme appears to have told Vladimir Putin that he wants to come to Russia as an ‘”ambassador of peace”.
In a bizarre video posted on Telegram by a pro-Russian journalist from Ukraine, a man purporting to be the Hollywood action hero said he would be “honoured” to take on such a role.
Addressing the Kremlin leader directly, he said: “We want to come to Russia. We’ll try to do this the way you want to do this – to be an ambassador of peace.”
It would not be the first time the man nicknamed “The Muscles from Brussels” has visited Russia.
In 2010, he enjoyed ringside seats alongside Putin at a mixed martial arts event in Sochi.
The Belgian-born former bodybuilder shares a love of fighting with the Russian president, who is himself a judo black belt, and they are said to have known each other for years.
Tiptoeing around the topic of Russia’s war in Ukraine and its ongoing stand-off with the West, Van Damme promised to talk “only about peace, sport and happiness” and not politics, before signing off the video with a “big kiss for Putin”.
Most celebrities have turned their back on Vladimir Putin since he launched his invasion in February 2022 but a handful continue to defend him. Of those, American actor Steven Seagal is the most high profile.
The Under Siege star, who holds a Russian passport and is a frequent visitor to the country, acts as Moscow’s special representative for Russian-US humanitarian ties.
But when we caught up with him at Putin’s latest presidential inauguration last year, he refused to say why he supports the Kremlin leader…
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Steven Seagal calls Sky’s question about Putin ‘stupid’
Entertainment
Gossip Girl and Buffy star Michelle Trachtenberg died as a result of complications from diabetes, medical examiner says
Gossip Girl actress Michelle Trachtenberg died as a result of complications from diabetes, New York City’s medical examiner has said.
The 39-year-old, who was also known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harriet the Spy, was found dead at her home in New York City after officers responded to a 911 call on 26 February.
According to a source quoted by Sky News’ US partner network NBC, she had recently received a liver transplant.
At the time of her death, officials said no foul play was suspected, and the medical examiner’s office had listed her death as “undetermined”.
Trachtenberg’s family had objected to a post-mortem, which the medical examiner’s office honoured because there was no evidence of criminality.
But the medical examiner’s office said in a statement on Thursday it amended the cause and manner of death for the actress following a review of laboratory test results.
Trachtenberg was best known for her role as Dawn Summers in Buffy, the younger sister of the title character played by Sarah Michelle Gellar between 2000 and 2003.
Michelle Trachtenberg. Pic: AP
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Between 2008 and 2012, she played Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl – the malevolent rival of Blake Lively’s Serena van der Woodsen and Leighton Meester’s Blair Waldorf.
She also starred in the movie 17 Again, where she portrayed daughter Maggie O’Donnell, comedy film Eurotrip and the 2005 teen film Ice Princess.
In 2001, she received a Daytime Emmy nomination for hosting Discovery’s Truth or Scare.
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