Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters has taken part in an interview with CNN’s Michael Smerconish, which has seen him defend the likes of Russia and China while labelling US President Joe Biden a “war criminal”. Smerconish asked Waters about the political themes at his concerts, including flashing a picture of Biden with the phrase “war criminal – just getting started…”
“Well, he’s fuelling the fire in the Ukraine for a start,” Waters explained. “That is a huge crime. Why won’t the United States of America encourage Zelensky, the president, to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war that’s killing, we don’t know how many Ukrainians and Russians?”
Roger Waters speaks to CNN’s Michael Smerconish
As the pair continued their discussion, Smerconish floated the idea that Waters had in fact “got it reversed” by “blaming the party that got invaded”. Waters, however, responded by noting that Smerconish need only “look at the history” to locate the origin of the conflict.
“You could say it started in 2008, OK? This war is basically about the action and reaction of NATO pushing right up to the Russian border, which they promised they wouldn’t do when Gorbachev negotiated the withdrawal of the USSR from the whole of Eastern Europe,” Waters explained.
When the focus of the discussion turned to China, the reporter noted that the country was now “busy encircling Taiwan” following the recent visit from US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“They’re not encircling Taiwan – Taiwan is part of China,” Waters responded. “And that’s been absolutely accepted by the whole of the international community since 1948 – and if you don’t know that, you’re not reading enough. Go and read about it.”
Further Reading
Roger Waters Says He’s “Far More Important” Than Drake Or The Weeknd
Roger Waters Accused Of Antisemitism For Israel-Nazi Comparison
Watch Roger Waters And Band Perform Pink Floyd’s ‘Mother’ From Isolation
