The Australian Associated Press and the British "Daily Telegraph" reported on June 16 that the 79-year-old British rock singer Rod Stewart was criticized for expressing his support for Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine conflict at a concert in Germany. The audience booed.
Rod Stewart Associated Press file picture
The report quoted the German tag24 news website as saying that Stewart performed his 1991 song "Rhythm of My Heart" at a concert in Leipzig, Germany on the 14th. and expressed support for Ukraine. The Australian Associated Press mentioned that Stewart called the song a war song and that he would sing it throughout the tour, saying he "dedicated it to Ukraine."
Video clips circulated on the American social platform x showed that before singing the song on the 14th, Stewart displayed the Ukrainian flag on the concert stage through a projector. Later, a photo of Ukrainian President Zelensky was displayed on the stage curtain. The Daily Telegraph said the singer was also wearing clothing with the same colors as the Ukrainian flag. Several media outlets reported that the audience responded with boos and whistles. Loud boos, shouts and whistles can also be heard in videos on social platforms.
According to reports, Stewart has previously publicly expressed support for Ukraine and rented a house in the UK for Ukrainian refugees. He and his family also rented trucks to deliver aid to the Ukrainian border, and the trucks then transported a group of refugees to Berlin, Germany.
Michael Roth, a foreign policy expert from the Social Democratic Party led by German Chancellor Scholz, posted on the 16th that Stewart is "today's hero" and "Thank you for your solidarity with the Ukrainian people!"
British "Daily Telegraph" The newspaper stated that Germany has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but the country's public has divided views on the conflict. Some worry that the German government's support for Kiev could lead to an escalation of the conflict, others are unhappy with the huge amount of money being spent on Ukraine, and German parties that oppose Scholz's government's support for Ukraine have lost votes in last week's European Parliament elections. Significant progress has been made.
