Jared Leto faces backlash for pro-Russian statements: Ukraine's MFA responds
Jared Leto (photo: instagram.com/jaredleto)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has responded to controversial statements made by American musician Jared Leto. During one of his performances, the artist referred to the war in Ukraine as a "problem" and expressed his intention to perform in Russia, the aggressor country, as well as in Ukraine, according to a post from the ministry on Twitter.
Representatives of Ukraine's MFA commented on Jared Leto
"Jared Leto’s "feeling the Russian energy" and his wish to perform in Russia is an insult to those sacrificing lives to defend freedom. There can be no appeasement for Russia when it continues its attempts to solve "problem" of Ukraine’s very existence," the statement said.
Jared Leto’s "feeling the Russian energy" and his wish to perform in Russia is an insult to those sacrificing lives to defend freedom.
— MFA of Ukraine (@MFA_Ukraine) October 13, 2024
There can be no appeasement for Russia when it continues its attempts to solve "problem" of Ukraine’s very existence.
@United24media pic.twitter.com/XDUB7bBCjk
The musician expressed his pro-Russian views during a concert by his band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Instead of addressing his Serbian fans, Leto began speaking to Russians, professing his love for their people.
His statements and desire to "hang out" with fans in Russia and Serbia continue to be widely discussed online. Leto did not mention the Ukrainian people but did express his intention to perform a concert in Kyiv.
Jared Leto has previously demonstrated a pro-Ukrainian position (photo: instagram.com/jaredleto)
Interestingly, in the past, Jared Leto has shown solidarity with Ukraine. For example, he attended events in support of Ukraine, sang about Odesa, expressed a desire to visit Ukraine, and waved the Ukrainian flag on stage.
Leto visited Ukraine in 2014, and after receiving an Oscar, he openly declared his support for the Ukrainian people, who aspire to live in a democracy.
However, as we can see, his position has shifted in the opposite direction.
During the event, Jared also inquired about the number of Serbians and Russians in the audience. When he asked about citizens of the aggressor country, the crowd responded with a massive round of applause, as they were clearly in the majority.
"You missed us! I felt a lot of Russian energy around me. And here's what I'll tell you: one day, when all these problems are over, we will meet you in your homeland. We'll come back to Serbia, we'll go to St Petersburg, Moscow, we'll stop by Kyiv. We will hang out and have fun. That's how it should be," the artist said.
Moreover, Leto said "thank you" from the stage, switching to Russian to demonstrate his solidarity with his fans.
After the incident, for which the star faced criticism, he did not make any additional statements or come forward.
Leto spoke out in support of Ukraine (screenshot)
What Leto used to say about Ukraine
In the past, Jared Leto demonstrated solidarity with Ukraine. For example, he attended events dedicated to supporting our country, sang about Odesa, and desired to visit Ukraine and "wave" the Ukrainian flag on stage.
Leto visited us in 2014, and after receiving an Oscar, he openly declared his support for the Ukrainian people, who aspire to live in democracy.
However, as we can see now, his position has shifted in the opposite direction.
Jared Leto confessed his love for Russians (Photo: Getty Images)
This comes after, in March, following the start of the full-scale invasion, he publicly supported Ukrainians. In 2022, the musician posted on social media, saying his "heart is broken" by the war. However, even then, he did not label Russia as the aggressor country committing genocide against Ukrainians.
