The 'Heart of Gold' hitmaker dismisses Russian President Vladimir Putin as 'an old dying guy' while weighing in on Donald Trump's plans to run for President in 2024.
- Nov 22, 2022
AceShowbiz - Neil Young describes the Russian invasion of Ukraine as "the crazy war of an old dying guy." The "Heart of Gold" hitmaker is more worried about the climate change crisis than the actions of Vladimir Putin - who has been plagued by rumours of ill health - and insists Russia's president isn't "leading" his country properly because he's only concerned about himself.
"I'm more terrified of the Amazon being wiped out than of Putin's war," he told The Times' Saturday Review. "Whatever happens in Ukraine, and the crazy war of an old dying guy who wants to relive his life and make things better for himself because of mistakes he thinks were made 50 years ago...That's a screwed-up mind. Putin is receding into himself as he dies. He's not leading. He's only protecting Putin the Great."
Despite his concerns for the planet, the 77-year-old musician is optimistic, so long as people work together to tackle the crisis. He said, "Remember when Covid hit? All around the world, everything stopped. The cities came to a grinding halt, and after a week or so people were saying, 'Wow, look at this place. Where did all these birds come from?' "
"When you look at the extremes of the left and the right and all the conspiracies developing, it is a product of the fact that people are scared s*******. When you have the biggest problem facing mankind in history and you are not doing anything about it, there will be a mental toll. I believe that if we can work together, we can solve it."
Neil is also hopeful Donald Trump - whom he sued in 2020 for using his song "Rockin' in the Free World" during his campaign rallies - won't be reelected as president in 2024 after the recent midterm elections saw the Democrats retain control of the US senate.
He said, "Everyone was duped [by Trump] and now something is going to change. The voters did not behave as they were predicted to and that is just the beginning. There is a new wave of 15, 16, 17 year olds who are seeing the world as it really is, understanding science, standing with their brothers and sisters be they yellow, red, black, white, orange, whatever. I sound like an old hippy, right? Well, that's who I am!"
