Roger Waters concerts in Poland canceled due to Ukraine backlash

Image source, Reuters

Planned concerts in Poland by Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has been canceled due to outrage over the musician's stance on the war in Ukraine.

The The concert's promoter, Live Nation Poland, confirmed the cancellation but gave no reason for it.

The controversy was sparked by an open letter Waters wrote to the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.

In it, he said, "extremist nationalists" in Ukraine "have put your country on the path to this disastrous war".

He accused her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, of failing to fulfill his election campaign promises to bring peace to the Donbass region and n made no mention of Russia's responsibility for the war.

In response, Ms. Zelenska wrote on Twitter that it was Russia that invaded Ukraine and was now destroying its cities and killing civilians. "Roger Waters, you should ask peace from the president of another country," she wrote.

Mr Waters' open letter has led Łukasz Wantuch, a Krakow city councilor, to urge people to boycott the concerts.

City councilors have drafted a resolution declaring Mr Waters persona non grata, to be voted on at a session on September 28.