Volodymyr Zelenskyy was denied the right to speak at the Eurovision Song Contest — the Office of the President claims that it did not make such a request
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) reported that the non-political nature of the event prohibits the possibility of making such statements as part of the contest.
"The request by Mr. Zelenskyy to address the audience at the Eurovision Song Contest, whilst made with laudable intentions, regrettably cannot be granted by the European Broadcasting Union management, as it would be against the rules of the event," the EBU said in a statement.
The broadcasting union noted that Ukraine, its music, culture, and creativity will be vividly represented in all three live shows of the competition. 11 Ukrainian artists will perform in the shows, the brand artwork for the event was created in collaboration with a Ukrainian design agency, and the music played during the show was created together with Ukrainian musicians.
The 37 locations across Ukraine will be showcased in the "postcards," short films that introduce each of the participating artists before they take to the stage.
"We believe that this is the best way to reflect and celebrate Ukraine's Eurovision Song Contest win and show that we are United By Music during these hard times," the EBU wrote.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy's spokesman, Serhii Nykyforov, said that the President's Office had not contacted the organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest with a proposal for Zelenskyy's online performance.
The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will be held on Saturday, May 13. Ukraine is represented by the band TVORCHI with the song "Heart of Steel."
Last year, the Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the contest with the song "Stefania."
According to the rules, the Eurovision Song Contest is hosted by the winning country. Due to the full-scale war, Ukraine cannot host the event.
In July 2022, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), BBC, and Suspilne Broadcaster agreed to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in the UK on behalf of Ukraine. The contest is held in Liverpool.
