Sir Rod Stewart, 80, has become the latest celebrity to wade into the ongoing controversy surrounding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump following their explosive face-off in the Oval Office on Friday.
The Maggie May hitmaker has thrown his backing behind Zelensky in no uncertain terms with a statement on Instagram after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the Ukrainian President he has “full backing across the United Kingdom” and that Britain stands with Ukraine “for as long as it may take”.
The two leaders met at Downing Street on Saturday, and after the meeting, Zelensky told the Prime Minister: “We count on your support.”
Starmer warmly embraced Zelensky as he arrived at 10 Downing Street, with the two leaders shaking hands and posing for photographs before entering Number 10.
Volodymyr Zelensky and Keir Starmer shook hands outside the door of No10 one day after the former’s Trump row
PA
The mood of the meeting stood in stark contrast to the Ukrainian President’s tense encounter with Trump the previous day.
The fiery face-off has prompted floods of mixed reactions from political commentators and critics from across the globe – and Stewart is the latest to side with the Ukrainian.
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Rod Stewart took aim at Trump as he threw his backing behind Starmer and Zelensky
The singer shared a photo of Zelensky meeting Starmer at Number 10 on Saturday on Instagram alongside the caption: “Proud To Be British.
‘Well done Starmer in welcoming Zelensky to the number 10. We must keep supporting the Ukrainian. Sir Rod.” (sic)
He’s not the only famous face to wade into the fallout from the Oval Office’s confrontation, with Michael Caine, 91, sparking debate with his verdict on the scrap.
The Friday meeting in question at the White House saw unprecedented exchanges between the leaders.
“You’re gambling with millions of people … You’re gambling with World War Three,” Trump told the Ukrainian President while Zelensky warned the US would “feel it in the future” if it did not continue to support Ukraine.
“Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem,” Trump responded while Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” during the confrontation.
European leaders will join Starmer and Zelensky at No 10 on Sunday for a defence summit.
The summit represents an opportunity for European allies to coordinate their approach to supporting Ukraine.
Donald Trump told Zelensky he is ‘gambling with World War 3’ in a fiery exchange
REUTERS
Stewart’s barbed dig at Trump and backing of Zelensky also comes a day after his wife Penny Lancaster publicly distanced herself from the US President, Floridian neighbour, and former friend.
On Friday’s Loose Women, Lancaster said of Trump: “We have a house in Florida up the road from him so from time to time we would engage in those events.
Sir Rod Stewart (left) and Donald Trump (right) used to be pals
GETTY
“But, when he began to run for President and then starting to hear those very dangerous rhetorics those comments where he said Mexicans were rapists and that Muslims were terrorists. I [thought], ‘Woah, this is just crossing all sorts of boundaries.’
“This man sounds like he’s going to disrupt the world in a very unfortunate way. From that point onwards, I said to my husband, ‘Darling, we are not going anywhere near him, again I cannot be in the same space with someone that can speak that kind of language’.
“So in the end, we turned down any further [function] invitations and that was it. Before, we didn’t know what the man was like, because he seemed to generous, giving to charity and all these different functions but, then, obviously, we’ve seen a different side to him and it’s an absolute no, no as far as we can push him, it’s an absolute no.”
Stewart has also been previously quoted as calling Trump a “monster” since he began his political career.