Nastya Kamenskykh caused a stir with her statement about Ukraine and the Russian language
Singer Nastya Kamenskykh has made a new statement regarding the war in Ukraine and the use of the Russian language. The artist claims that Ukraine has allegedly turned its back on her and Potap. Her words sparked a storm of reactions online.
According to Nastya Kamenskykh, she and Potap are still Ukrainians. The singer noted that she did not expect to have to explain her position regarding the war in Ukraine.
“We are Ukrainians; since the start of the war, we’ve traveled halfway around the world giving charity concerts. We’ve raised millions of dollars for Ukraine, and I’m not trying to justify myself. Back then, everyone did what they could. But we’ve been together for 20 years, and I care about you. To me, you’re not just a number of views, streams, or likes. To me, you’re not just an opportunity to cash in. You’re the people who’ve lived your lives to our songs and entrusted those moments to us—your happiness and your sorrow. That’s exactly why I’m speaking honestly with you,” the artist said.
According to Kamenskykh, from the start of the full-scale invasion, she and Potap have been “shouting” that Russia is an aggressor nation. As the star put it, their duo’s stance on this has not changed.
“From the very first day of the war, we’ve been telling the world’s media that Russia started this horrific war. This country is an aggressor. And, of course, we still believe that. After all, I opened the 2022 Latin American Music Awards in the U.S. with a song in support of Ukraine. With a flag in my hands, I gave a long speech about the war in Ukraine—for that part of the world that has historically remained outside the Ukrainian context,” the singer noted.
The singer noted that she eventually returned to speaking Russian. She also stated that she “does not support what is happening in Ukraine.” “I didn’t do this to fit into the pantheon of righteous, saintly, patriotic artists. And I didn’t record the song ‘I Am Ukraine,’ while shedding tears, for that reason either. Nor did I switch completely to the Ukrainian language at some point for that reason. I was born in this country and have been with it through joy and sorrow. And I will always support our wonderful people, who don’t deserve to live like this. That’s why I no longer support what’s happening in Ukraine, and I don’t want to play the ‘hurrah for patriotism’ game, wear a vyshyvanka, or talk about strong, unbreakable people. “I don’t want these people to die!” the star said.
Nastya Kamenskykh explained that she has spoken Russian since childhood and grew up in Russian-speaking Kyiv. That is precisely why she began speaking Russian again in public. “Why do I speak Russian? Because I’ve spoken it since childhood. I was born and raised in Russian-speaking Kyiv, which belongs neither to Russia nor to a totalitarian regime. Because millions of people around the world who support Ukraine speak it,” she explained.
According to Kamenskykh, every person has the right to speak whatever language they choose. So, by switching to Russian, Potap and Nastya did not renounce Ukraine, Kamenskykh noted. “It is not language that defines a person’s character or stance. That’s why Potap and Nastya have never turned their backs on their homeland—even if the homeland has turned its back on us,” the singer concluded.
It should be noted that among the celebrities who supported Kamenskykh’s post were singers Kamaliya and Slava Kaminskaya.
The artist addressed this in a new video and explained why she had started speaking Russian again.
Video: Potap and Nastya Kamenskykh found themselves at the center of a language scandal.
Ukrainian producer and performer Potap found himself at the center of a controversy after a poorly received joke about Maxim Galkin during the Laima Rendezvous Jūrmala 2026 festival in Latvia. Alla Pugacheva and her husband were present at the event, and the artists’ reaction to Potap’s remarks sparked a wave of discussion on social media.
Gennady Viter, the producer of the “Music Platform” project and a singer himself, stated that he would not invite Potap to participate in his show. According to him, the reason is the artist’s lack of a clear stance on the war in Ukraine.
