The Russian government has asked Roger Waters to address the United Nations today (February 8) to voice his concerns about Western nations supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Moscow has requested the meeting at the U.N. Security Council to discuss the delivery of arms to Kiev, according to a report from the Reuters news agency.
Last year Pink Floyd co-founder Waters published an 'open letter' to Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska stating, "Throwing fuel, in the form of armaments, into a fire fight, has never worked to shorten a war in the past, and it won’t work now."
In the post, dated September 4, Waters wrote "BBC.com quotes you as saying that 'If support for Ukraine is strong, the crisis will be shorter.' Hmmm? I guess that might depend on what you mean by 'support for Ukraine'? If by 'support for Ukraine' you mean the West continuing to supply arms to the Kiev government’s armies, I fear you may be tragically mistaken.
"Throwing fuel, in the form of armaments, into a fire fight, has never worked to shorten a war in the past, and it won’t work now, particularly because, in this case, most of the fuel is (a) being thrown into the fire from Washington DC, which is at a relatively safe distance from the conflagration, and (b) because the ‘fuel throwers’ have already declared an interest in the war going on for as long as possible."
During a much-publicised 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, Waters asserted his belief that NATO is responsible for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and also claimed that he is on "a kill list supported by the Ukrainian government" because of his views on the conflict.
“I can live with myself and go to sleep at night knowing that the story that is being sold by the Western media is propaganda, and it is not the truth," Waters said. "I know the truth. And I’m sure I’m right about that."
On the question of Waters addressing the U.N. an anonymous Security Council diplomat told Reuters, "Russian diplomacy used to be serious. What next? Mr. Bean?"
"Let's see what he will say," Reuters quotes Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia saying. "He has a position and you will hear it tomorrow."
Nebenzia joked "Perhaps he will sing to us, too."
The news follows on from writer and Pink Floyd lyricist Polly Samson, David Gilmour's partner, labelling Waters a "Putin apologist" on Twitter.
Waters is seemingly taking legal advice in regards to the post, which he describes as "incendiary and wildly inaccurate".
Last year Pink Floyd's released a single, Hey Hey Rise Up, to raise money for humanitarian relief in Ukraine.
