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‘What next, Mr Bean?’ Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters asked by Russia to speak to UN security council

The Pink Floyd co-founder has previously written open letters to both Russian and Ukrainian government

Megan Graye
Wednesday 08 February 2023 13:35 GMT
Roger Waters says David Gilmour 'thinks he owns Pink Floyd'

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Roger Walters has reportedly been asked by Russia to speak to the UN Security Council.

Russia wants the Pink Floyd co-founder to appear on Wednesday (8 February) at the meeting to discuss Ukrainian weapon delivery, Reuters reports.

Speaking on the request, an anonymous UN Security diplomat said: "Russian diplomacy used to be serious. What next? Mr Bean?"

Waters has previously written open letters to both the Russian and Ukrainian governments.

The musician was criticised for one he wrote to the Ukrainian first lady, Olena Zelenska, in which he argued against the west supplying weapons to Ukraine.

The rock musician has previously claimed that he is on a Ukrainian “kill list” as a result of his controversial comments about the war.

“Don’t forget, I’m on a kill list that is supported by the Ukrainian government,” Waters said in an interview with Rolling Stone in October.

“I’m on the f***ing list, and they’ve killed people recently ... But when they kill you, they write ‘liquidated’ across your picture. Well, I’m one of those f***ing pictures,” he claimed.

Earlier this week, Pink Floyd lyricist Polly Samson accused Waters of being “antisemitic to your rotten core”, in an online row over Israel and the Ukraine war.

In the attack on Twitter, Samson – who is married to the rock band’s guitarist David Gilmour – also claimed Waters was a “Putin apologist”, saying: “Enough of your nonsense”.

Roger Waters
Roger Waters (Getty Images)

A statement posted to Waters’ official Instagram account said he was “aware of the incendiary and wildly inaccurate comments made about him on Twitter by Polly Samson which he refutes entirely”, adding: “He is currently taking advice as to his position.”

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Samson is an acclaimed novelist who wrote lyrics for her husband’s band on The Division Bell album. She also has credits across her husband’s solo work.

The Independent’s Ed Power explored the ongoing quarrels between the musicians this week, calling their feud “one of the great tragicomedies in rock history”.

Additional reporting by Reuters.

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