The Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman has pledged to give concerts in the country when the conflict is over
American actor and singer Jared Leto insulted Ukraine when he said that he hoped to perform in Moscow and Kiev during peacetime, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said.
The frontman of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars gave a shout out to his Russian fans at a concert on Friday in the Serbian capital Belgrade, urging them to raise their hands in the air. Leto pledged to visit his Russian supporters in their homeland, saying that the group would go to St. Petersburg and Moscow, as well as Kiev, once โall these problems are finished.โ
โI know we have people from all over the world here tonight. I thought I felt a little of that Russian energy. Did you miss us?โ the artist said after he asked how many people in the audience were from Russia and heard a loud roar.
Ukraineโs Foreign Ministry was unhappy with the comments, saying in a post on X on Sunday that Letoโs โwish to perform in Russia is an insult to those sacrificing lives to defend freedom.โ The ministry called for โno appeasement for Russiaโ as long as Moscow is trying โto solve the โproblemโ of Ukraineโs very existence.โ
The band is currently on tour promoting their latest album โItโs the End of the World but Itโs a Beautiful Dayโ. Leto won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2014 for his role in โDallas Buyers Clubโ and used to perform in Russia before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.
Letoโs agent Alexandra Trustman refused to comment on the artistโs statement about a potential concert in Russia when reached by TASS, saying that she cannot โfacilitate any correspondenceโ with the singer.
Earlier this year, Ukrainian authorities slammed the US television network HBO, forcing the company to axe Serbian-born actor Milos Bikovic from its award-winning series โThe White Lotusโ over his alleged relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In August, Kiev called on Ukraineโs Western backers to ban soprano Anna Netrebko from performing anywhere outside Russia. The call came after the Rome Opera announced that the singer would star in their production of โToscaโ on the 125th anniversary of the premiere of Giacomo Pucciniโs opera at the Costanzi Theatre.
Last year, Kiev also lashed out at Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters, who criticized the West for supplying Ukraine with arms in an address to the United Nations Security Council last year. Waters also angered Kiev by saying that the conflict between the neighboring states was โnot unprovokedโ.
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