Kremlin Responds to Kanye West's Planned Russia Concerts Amid Controversy

American rapper Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, is planning a tour in Russia this fall, a move that has already drawn a response from the Kremlin. When asked if President Vladimir Putin would meet with the controversial artist during his upcoming concerts, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov immediately dismissed the possibility. "This is not our area. We are not 'Mosconcert' (Russia's state concert organizer), but the presidential administration," Peskov told journalists.

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This is not our area. We are not 'Mosconcert' (Russia's state concert organizer), but the presidential administration.

Scheduled for October 10 and 11, West is expected to perform two concerts at the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg, which can hold up to 70,000 spectators. He would be one of the biggest Western music stars to perform in Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Tickets for the concert, priced between 9,000 and 160,000 rubles (approximately $92 to $1,642), sold out within hours.

However, West's tour in Europe has been less successful than anticipated. In April, the United Kingdom banned him from entering the country, forcing the cancellation of the Wireless hip-hop festival in London. A festival in Slovakia where the rapper was set to perform was also canceled in July. Planned concerts in France, Poland, Italy, and the Czech Republic did not materialize. West's repeated antisemitic and Nazi statements have caused outrage. The rapper has publicly praised Adolf Hitler, released a song titled "Heil Hitler," and sold merchandise featuring swastikas.

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Let Western values stay in the West. An official appeal is already being prepared for the relevant authorities and the Ministry of Culture, demanding the cancellation of the concerts and the suspension of ticket sales.

Not everyone in Russia is celebrating West's upcoming concerts. Earlier this week, conservative Russian parliamentarian Vitaly Milonov suggested that if West performed traditional Russian songs, he might stop "acting so terribly" and become a "normal person." Unlike fans who quickly bought concert tickets, Russian deputies and public figures have reacted unfavorably to the news of Ye's upcoming visit. For instance, Nikolai Novichkov, a representative of the "A Just Russia" party, demanded that the rapper declare his support for Russia in its war with Ukraine. Vitaly Borodin, a pro-Kremlin public figure known for various complaints to institutions, called the upcoming concerts "amoral" and stated he considered them "a spit in our society." "Let Western values stay in the West. An official appeal is already being prepared for the relevant authorities and the Ministry of Culture, demanding the cancellation of the concerts and the suspension of ticket sales," he said. When asked by the news portal "Fontanka" if the American rapper's repertoire would be censored, Anna Subcheva, head of the concert organizing company "SAY Agency," replied, "Of course, everything will be done in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation."

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Of course, everything will be done in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation.