Veteran British singer Sting warned Russia on Wednesday he is withdrawing his talents from the country in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, adding his refusal to play “any shows for anyone connected to the regime” will hold into the future.
Elton John and the rock band Deep Purple, who have both previously been paid to appear at lavish private events for the country’s elite, have already denounced the Kremlin.
The singer’s decision to punish Moscow comes just weeks after he sold his entire song writing catalog to Universal Music Group in a deal U.S. media estimated was worth some $250 million, as Breitbart News reported.
Sting, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, helped form the Police in London in the 1970s as its lead singer, songwriter and bass guitar player.
He went on to perform solo played at a private gig for the family of a Russian tycoon in 2016 – five years before his host was sanctioned by the European Union (E.U.).
Speaking to the London Daily Mirror, Sting said: “No oligarch in Britain, Russia or anywhere else is in any position to book a gig, a wedding or a party. Those days are over.”
Sting performs onstage during The Game Awards 2021 at Microsoft Theater on December 09, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The singer played at the $1billion wedding of Mikhail Gutseriev’s son Said in Moscow, where he performed alongside Jennifer Lopez.
Gutseriev was sanctioned by the E.U. last year for his close ties with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
According to the Mirror report, Downing Street said this week that Gutseriev had been previously sanctioned under the “Belarus sanctions regime.”
No. 10 describes him as a “long-standing associate of Lukashenko, who is responsible for serious violations of human rights and the repression of civil society and democratic opposition in Belarus”.
It added: “Gutseriev provided support for the Government of Belarus, including through his business interests.”
Mikhail Gutseriev (2nd R), President of Oil and Gas Company RussNeft, gestures before a meeting on issues of fuel and energy at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, February 13, 2013. (SERGEI KARPUKHIN/AFP via Getty Images)
This week, the 70-year-old British-born artist posted a video on Instagram of himself singing his 1985 Cold War song Russians, which he said was more relevant than ever due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The singer hit out at “one man’s bloody and woefully misguided decision to invade a peaceful” neighbour.
Sting’s attack on Russian oligarchs was not the first time he has entered the political realm.
As Breitbart News reported, in 2018 he was part of a group of celebrities who joined former Vice President and environmental activist Al Gore for a 24-hour broadcast aimed at raising awareness about climate change.