Concert of Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd, in Poland canceled after a controversial letter about Ukraine

Roger Waters: Biden fuels the 'fire' of war in Ukraine.

That's a great crime 6:10

(CNN) --

British rock legend and Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters' scheduled concerts in Poland in April were canceled amid a backlash over the musician's stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Live Nation Poland, promoter of the concert, confirmed the cancellation this Saturday, but did not specify the reason.

The cancellation comes after Waters, 79, published a controversial open letter on his website in early September to Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska.

In the letter, Waters wrote that he opposed the West sending weapons to Ukraine to help the beleaguered country in its war against invading Russia.

• US privately warned Russia about using nuclear weapons against Ukraine for several months

Waters also accused Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, of going back on his 2019 election campaign promises, saying, without offering evidence, that "forces of extreme nationalism that had lurked, malevolently, in the shadows, have ruled, since So Ukraine.

Waters went on to accuse such "extreme nationalists" of steering Ukraine toward war with Russia by crossing a "series of red lines" set by the Kremlin.

This Sunday, Waters denied having canceled the shows himself.

The concerts were planned in Krakow as part of his international tour.

advertising

In a Facebook statement to Britain's The Guardian and Poland's Gazeta Krakowska, Waters denied that he or his manager had canceled the performances in Poland.

Instead, he blamed Lukasz Wantuch, a Krakow councilor who wrote a Facebook post on September 10 opposing the Waters concerts.

"It is true that a Krakow councilor, a certain Łukasz Wantuch, has threatened to hold a meeting to ask the city council to declare me 'Persona non grata' because of my public efforts to cheer up all those involved in the disastrous war in Ukraine, especially the US and Russian governments to work for a negotiated peace, instead of escalating things to a bitter end that could be nuclear war and the end of all life on this planet," Waters wrote on Facebook.

"Despite the fact that this guy, Łukasz Wantuch, seems to know nothing of my history of working, throughout my life, at some personal cost, in the service of human rights, in an article published in a local newspaper he urged the good people of Krakow not to buy tickets for my show," added Waters.

• Poland to Acquire Hundreds of South Korean Tanks, Howitzers After Sending Weapons to Ukraine

He went on to say that if Wantuch "achieves his goal...it will be a sad loss for me" as well as for the people of Krakow.

"Their draconian censorship of my work will deny them the opportunity to decide for themselves," Waters concluded.

Wantuch's post expressed his opposition to Waters' show, calling the musician an "open supporter of Putin" and his planned performances in Krakow a "shame on our city."

"Roger Waters, an outspoken Putin supporter, wants to play Krakow's Tauron Arena," Wantuch wrote.

"On Wednesday we have a session of the Krakow City Council and I will talk to the president and councilors to prevent it. Such an event would be a shame for our city. Let him sing in Moscow."

Wantuch responded to Waters' statement Sunday by writing that he was still in the Ukraine but would "have an offer" for Waters by tonight.

• Pink Floyd release their first new song in 28 years to support Ukraine

Earlier this year, Pink Floyd released their first new song in 28 years, a single called "Hey Hey Rise Up" to raise money for humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

Waters, who left the band in 1984, did not contribute to the song.

Nearly 6,000 civilians have been confirmed dead in Ukraine since Russia's invasion began, according to the United Nations.

-- Sarah Diab and Claudia Rebaza contributed to this report.

War in UkrainePolandRoger Waters