Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters has offered his thoughts on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in an open letter to Vladimir Putin.
Waters’ letter starts with the musician insisting that he’d recently been using his “small influence to encourage a ceasefire and a diplomatic settlement that addresses the security needs of both Ukraine and The Russian Federation.
“Firstly, would you like to see an end to this war? If you were to reply and say, “Yes please.” That would immediately make things a lot easier,” he continues.
“If you were to come out and say, “Also the Russian Federation has no further territorial interest beyond the security of the Russian speaking populations of The Crimea, Donetsk and Lubansk.” That would help too.
I say this because, I know some people who think you want to overrun the whole of Europe, starting with Poland and the rest of the Baltic states. If you do, fuck you, and we might as well all stop playing the desperately dangerous game of nuclear chicken that the hawks on both sides of the Atlantic seem so comfortable with, and have at it. Yup, just blow each other and the world to smithereens.”
Waters goes on: “The problem is, I have kids and grandkids, and so do most of my brothers and sisters all over the world and none of us would relish that outcome. So, please Mr Putin indulge me, and make us that assurance.
Alright back to the table, if I’ve read your previous speeches correctly, you would like to negotiate a state of neutrality for a sovereign neighboring Ukraine? Is that correct? Assuming such a peace could be negotiated it would have to include an absolutely binding agreement not to invade anyone ever again.
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“I know, I know, the USA and NATO invade other sovereign countries at the drop of a hat, or for a few barrels of oil, but that doesn’t mean you should, your invasion of Ukraine took me completely by surprise, it was a heinous war of aggression, provoked or not.
The letter then finishes with Waters humbly saying that’d “mightily respect” Putin if he replied, and would “take it as an honorable move in the right direction towards a sustainable peace. You can read the full letter below.
It comes shortly after it was announced that Waters would no longer be performing two concerts in Krakow, Poland, reportedly due to the backlash he received over eyebrow-raising comments he’s recently made at the expense of Ukraine.
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