A request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to address the Eurovision Song Contest final in the English city of Liverpool on Saturday has been denied by broadcasters
In a statement posted on its website on Thursday, the European Broadcasting Union , which is an alliance of public service media organizations that oversees the event, stressed the importance of the “nonpolitical” nature of Eurovision, which is watched by millions around the world. “This principle prohibits the possibility of making political or similar statements as part of the Contest,” the EBU added.
If he had been allowed to address the contest, the Ukrainian leader would probably have continued his pattern of using speeches at high-profile international events to draw attention to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine – and Eurovision would have been a poignant stage on which to do so, given that this year’s contest is being staged in the United Kingdom because Ukraine, the winner of last year’s contest and the rightful host nation, is unable to host it due to the Russian invasion.
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