Roger Waters’ concerts in Poland canceled after sending a letter to Olena Zelenska

But venues have canceled the shows in the wake of Waters’ exchange with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska in recent weeks – with Waters also facing potential criticism from Krakow City Council after a member put forward a motion to declare him persona non grata.

Waters, who talks a lot about foreign policy issues and he is It is no stranger to controversy because of thatsaid on Saturday in a statement That cancellation of his Polish shows “would be a sad loss for me”.

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In early September, Waters published a file An open letter to ZelenskaWife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In it, Waters expressed doubt about her assertion to the BBC that more support for Ukraine would end the war faster.

“I guess that might depend on what you mean by ‘support of Ukraine’? If by ‘support of Ukraine’ you mean ‘the West’s continued supply of arms to the Kyiv government’s armies, I fear you are tragically wrong.'”

Accusing the United States of having an interest in prolonging the war, Waters said Ukraine’s “ultra-nationalists” were violating “any number of red lines that your Russian neighbors have drawn so clearly over several years. Union, “put Ukraine” on the path to this disastrous war”— A statement that was interpreted by many as blaming the victim.

Zelenska Rose on Twitter Waters’ should question [Russian President Vladimir Putin] For peace. Not Ukraine.”

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water regularly Adopts inflammatory political views. Recently, a video During his concerts, he referred to President Biden as a “war criminal.”

In contrast, Pink Floyd, left by Waters in a sharp breakup in the mid-1980s, released one song this year in support of Ukraine, “Hey Hey Rise Up,” Her first new music in more than two decades. The song depicts Ukrainian singer Andrei Khlevniuk singing a Ukrainian anthem, and the proceeds from its sale were earmarked for humanitarian relief.

Poland has been one of the strongest defenders of Ukraine – with which it shares a border – since the Russian invasion. You have by far the biggest The number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe O . has pledged Donated aid to Kyiv At levels equal to, or in some cases exceeding, commitments made by countries with much stronger economies.

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Sunday entertainment platform Live Nation Polska and concert venue Tauron Arena Krakow said in a joint one-line statement that they have “cancelled the Roger Waters concert.” They didn’t mention a reason, and some Polish media reported it Waters director decided to withdraw. Waters denied those rumors in his statement Sunday.

This week, the Krakow City Council was expected to vote on a proposal for Declaring Waters’ character unwanted, the Associated Press reported. The proposal was made by Chancellor Lukasz Wantuch, who, According to Deutsche Welle, previously wrote on social media that it “would be a shame for our city” if Waters were allowed to perform there. He reportedly added, “Let him sing in Moscow.”

Wanch did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Post early Monday.

“If Mr. Łukasz Wantuch achieves his goal, and my upcoming concerts in Krakow are cancelled, it will be a sad loss for me,” Waters said in his statement. “I was looking forward to sharing my message of love with the people of Poland, something I’ve been doing on many tours during a career of over fifty years.”