Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN) has said that Roger Waters is “another brick in the wall” of Russian propaganda.
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Sergiy Kyslytsya was attending yesterday’s (February 8) UN Security Council on the delivery of weapons to Ukraine when he made the remarks. Rogers, the Pink Floyd co-founder, was invited by Russia to speak on the matter following his comments in recent months about the West and America in particular being “the main aggressor” in the war.
After Waters called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “illegal” and condemned it “in the strongest possible terms”, the vocalist and bassist claimed over a video link that it “was not unprovoked, so I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms”. He also called for an immediate ceasefire.
Kyslytsya was the last to speak at the meeting and used the opportunity to draw on Pink Floyd’s history, including floating pigs at their concerts, to lampoon Waters.
The diplomat noted that Pink Floyd had been banned by the Soviet Union for protesting against the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan.
“It is ironic, if not hypocritical, that Mr Waters attempts now to whitewash another invasion,” Kyslytsya said. “How sad for his former fans to see him accepting the role of just another brick in the wall – the wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda.”
“Keep strumming the guitar, Mr Waters,” the ambassador concluded. “It suits you more than lecturing the security council on how to do its job. No flying pigs here, please.”
Recently, Waters also criticised his former Pink Floyd bandmates for releasing the charity single ‘Hey Hey Rise Up’ last year, which raised funds for humanitarian charities working to help those affected by the war. “It encourages the continuation of the war,” Waters said. “To associate [Pink Floyd] now with something like this… proxy war makes me sad.”
Waters’ comments drew criticism from his former bandmate David Gilmour and his wife, author Polly Samson. The latter shared a tweet branding Waters as “a Putin apologist”, calling him a “lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac.” Glimour later re-shared the tweet with the caption: “every word [is] demonstrably true”.
Waters himself issued a statement in response to Samson’s comments, saying he “refutes [them] entirely” and that they are “incendiary and wildly inaccurate”. The musician said he is “taking advice as to his position” regarding Samson’s claims.