Roger Waters Criticizes Angelina Jolie and Celebrities for Backing Ukraine: “Jolie is Absolutely Clueless on This Issue”
Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has publicly criticized a number of celebrities for their support of Ukraine, calling their understanding of the conflict “absolutely ignorant.”
Speaking in an interview with the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Waters singled out Angelina Jolie, Sean Penn, Bono, and even his former bandmate David Gilmour for backing what he referred to as the “Kyiv regime.”
Waters suggested that the West bears responsibility for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He cited a 1990 promise from then-US Secretary of State James Baker to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand “even one inch to the east,” claiming that the alliance’s later expansion contributed to the current conflict.
“Angelina Jolie doesn’t know this. She’s never heard of James Baker. They’re ignorant,” Waters said. “And Sean Penn. They’re ignorant. And [U2 frontman] Bono, and [Pink Floyd’s lead guitarist] David Gilmour, they’re all completely ignorant.”
The musician has a history of speaking out on political issues during his solo performances. In 2023, he addressed the UN Security Council in a speech invited by Russia.
While he condemned Russia’s “illegal” invasion, he also criticized Western leaders, whom he called “provocateurs.” Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN at the time, Sergiy Kyslytsya, dismissed the address as “another brick in the wall” of Russian disinformation, referencing Pink Floyd’s iconic song.
The founder of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, believes that Angelina Jolie traveled to Ukraine because she doesn't know what is happening there, just like other "artists" — they are all ignorant and clueless.
— Sprinter Press (@SprinterPress) November 14, 2025
However, their fees
for these trips are known. Last time, Jolie reportedly… pic.twitter.com/FwSSEkIzWC
Waters also commented on Jolie’s recent humanitarian trip to Kherson, Ukraine. He argued that the actress was unaware of the broader history and complexity of the conflict. “I am sure that Angelina Jolie is absolutely clueless on this issue,” he said. During her visit, Jolie met with medics, volunteers, and families affected by Russian attacks, including a recently bombed maternity ward.
While Waters has criticized these celebrity actions, Gilmour’s approach to Ukraine has been different. In April 2022, Gilmour released the Pink Floyd track Hey Hey, Rise Up! featuring Andriy Khlyvnyuk of Ukrainian band BoomBox, with all proceeds going to humanitarian aid. Gilmour told The Guardian that many Ukrainians were unaware their struggles were visible worldwide:
“When I spoke to Andriy, he was telling me about the things he’d seen, and I said to him, ‘you know this has been on the BBC here in England, and on television around the world? Everyone is seeing these terrible things that are happening.’ And he said, ‘Oh really? I didn’t know.’”
Waters also highlighted his personal ties to Ukraine, noting his grandchildren are half-Ukrainian and his daughter-in-law helped evacuate her elderly grandmother from Kharkiv to Sweden. “I hate it when people say things like ‘As a parent, I …’, but the practicalities of having an extended Ukrainian family is part of this,” he said.
Waters’ comments have drawn attention for their blunt criticism of celebrity involvement in global conflicts and highlight the complex debates surrounding public figures taking sides in international issues.
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