Roger Waters, a legendary Pink Floyd vocalist, stated that Ukraine is ‘ruled by Nazis’ and is ‘not really a country’ just days after his former bandmate Dave Gilmour echoed claims that he is ‘anti-Semitic to the core’ and a ‘Putin apologist.’
In a wide-ranging interview with The Telegraph prior to his next summer tour, Waters, 79, criticized his former bandmate Gilmour, 76, as a man with ‘nothing to say.’
Commenting on the Ukraine war, Waters told the newspaper that the notion that Russia’s incursion was unprovoked is ‘f***ing absurd’ before asserting that the Ukrainian government is under the direction of Nazis.
Referring to a previous piece he had written on the subject, Waters stated that he believed certain critiques of Putin were harsh: ‘About three months ago, I wrote that Vladimir Putin was a gangster… That may have been unfair. It is possible that he is leading his country to the benefit of all Russian citizens.’
In addition, he described Ukraine as a “deeply divided” nation that “is not really a country at all” and a “patchy vague experiment.”
The co-founder of Pink Floyd has refuted online accusations of anti-Semitism made by Polly Samson, the ex-wife of ex-bandmate David Gilmour.
Samson, 60, made a series of explosive charges about Waters, ostensibly in response to an article he had shared about Israel, describing him as “antisemitic to the core” and a “Putin apologist.”
In response, Gilmour, age 76, has now backed up his wife’s assertions on social media.
In reaction, Waters described the allegations as ‘grossly incorrect’ and ‘inflammatory’ and added that he is’seeking counsel on his position’
The musician recently denied anti-Semitic allegations in an interview with the German publication Berliner Zeitung.
The musician tweeted the article’s title: “The Truth Will Set Us Free.”
“Against the backdrop of the outrageous and despicable smear campaign by the Israeli lobby to brand me as an anti-Semite, which I am not, have never been, and will never be,” he said.
In the article, Waters asserted that Israel was committing “genocide” and compared the situation to Britain’s behavior “during our colonial period.”
He stated, “Like the Israelis in Palestine, we thought ourselves to be naturally superior to the indigenous people. We were not, nor were Israeli Jews.’
In a recent interview with the Telegraph, Waters mentioned that tensions between the former bandmates have been building for years.
Waters is sure that he can do whatever he wants with ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ since ‘it’s [his] project and [he] wrote it’
He also criticized Gilmour for having “nothing to say” and not being a “artist.”
Roger Waters co-founded Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett (guitar, lead vocals), Nick (drums), and Richard Wright in 1965. (keyboards, vocals).
Two years later, in 1967, David joined the band, and the following year, Syd quit due to mental health issues.