---
title: "Dieter Bohlen before the concert in Estonia: from the 'worst-case scenario' to a forced apology"
description: "Dieter Bohlen, former member of Modern Talking, almost lost his concert in Estonia due to his statements about the war. He called a Ukrainian victory the 'worst-case scenario,' but after an ultimatum from the organizers, he recorded an apology. 🎤🇪🇪 #ModernTalking #DieterBohlen #Estonia"
date: 2026-06-26T16:39:49.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/dieter-bohlen-before-the-concert-in-estonia-from-the-worst-case-scenario-to-a-forced-apology
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Dieter Bohlen before the concert in Estonia: from the 'worst-case scenario' to a forced apology

![Dieter Bohlen and Vladimir Putin: collage illustrating the political context of Bohlen's concert in Estonia and his forced apology](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/26/diter-bolen-pered-koncertom-v-estonii-ot-hudshego-scenariya-do-vynuzhdennogo-izvineniya/diter-bolen-pered-koncertom-v-estonii-ot-hudshego-scenariya-do-vynuzhdennogo-izvineniya-1.webp)

72-year-old German musician and producer Dieter Bohlen, former member of the legendary duo Modern Talking, found himself at the center of an international scandal ahead of his performance in Estonia. His controversial statements regarding the Russo-Ukrainian war led to the threat of canceling his concert at the major retro festival Retrobest.

### Chronology and essence of the scandal

In a recent interview with German media and on the Hopf & Kettner podcast, Bohlen expressed sharp dissatisfaction with the German government's policy. He openly stated that a Ukrainian victory in the war is the 'worst-case scenario,' as a Russian defeat would allegedly inevitably lead to a third world war involving nuclear weapons. Previously, he also nostalgically referred to Russia and Germany as a 'dream team' due to cheap energy resources.

### Reaction in the Baltic states

The musician's words sparked a wave of outrage. Activists and the public in Estonia immediately demanded the cancellation of his performance at the Retrobest festival. Notably, Lithuania had already officially canceled the producer's planned autumn concerts earlier in the spring for the same reputational reasons.

### Organizers' ultimatum

The organizers of the Estonian festival from Monster Music OÜ officially condemned the artist's position. To save the show, they set a strict condition for Bohlen: to publicly record a video statement condemning Russian aggression.

### Outcome of the situation

To avoid losing fees and concert venues, Dieter Bohlen had to back down. He recorded a forced video apology, in which he hastened to state that he does not support the Kremlin's actions. Following this, the Retrobest organizers decided to allow him to take the stage in Estonia.

Meanwhile, his former colleague from the group, Thomas Anders, took a diametrically opposite stance: he fully supports Ukraine and categorically refuses to perform in the Russian Federation as long as the current political regime remains in power.