Entertainment
Rod Stewart labels Vladimir Putin an ‘a******e’ and urges support for Ukraine ‘right to the end’
Sir Rod Stewart has lashed out at Vladimir Putin on the eve of the second anniversary of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The music veteran branded the Russian president an “arsehole” in an interview with Sky News on Friday night.
And he said revealed his fears about the consequences of the US “pulling money away from Ukraine” as the conflict enters its third year.
Sir Rod told Sky News’s Friday Night With Niall Patterson: “You let that arsehole into Ukraine, he’ll get into every NATO country.”
“And we’ll have to join the army,” he added.
“We have to support Ukraine right to the end,” he continued, adding: “Peace in the Middle East as well.”
Sir Rod appeared on Sky News alongside friend and fellow musician, Jools Holland to discuss their new album, Swing Fever.
“We need joy, we live in very dark times,” he told Sky News.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Music brought us together’
Sir Rod described how the album “brought them together”, while pianist and composer Holland revealed how, when Sir Rod first called him to discuss the project, he believed it was a crank call.
Read more on Sky News:
What we know about Putin and his motives
Putin on invading Poland, the war in Ukraine, American ‘spies’
Sir Rod is no stranger to speaking his mind.
In January last year, he called into Sky News to donate for medical scans after hearing NHS crisis stories.
He said it was ridiculous people had to wait long periods for essential treatment and called for a change in government.
Sir Rod said: “I personally have been a Tory for a long time but I think this government should stand down now and give the Labour Party a go, this is heartbreaking.
“In all my years in this country I’ve never seen it so bad… change the bloody government.”