Calay News
The decision by Eurovision organizers not to allow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to broadcast a video message during the contest has generated widespread criticism in the United Kingdom, the host country of the event. A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that the values and freedoms upheld by Zelensky and the Ukrainian people are fundamental and not political, expressing the British government’s disappointment at the decision.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the song festival, announced that it rejected the Ukrainian president’s request due to the apolitical nature of the event. According to the EBU, this principle prohibits any political statements during the competition. Although Zelensky made the request with good intentions, it could not be accepted as it would violate the rules of the event, the EBU said in a statement.
This year, Eurovision is being held in Liverpool, northern England. The United Kingdom, which came in second in 2022, is the host country instead of Ukraine, last year’s winner, which had to give up hosting due to the Russian invasion. Sunak’s spokesman reiterated that the prime minister believes it would have been appropriate for President Zelensky to speak during the event.
The spokesman also mentioned that the Eurovision organizers themselves excluded Russia from the contest last year due to the invasion of Ukraine. This year, Russia is also banned. In addition, British parliamentarians have expressed concern about possible cyberattacks by pro-Russian hackers during the contest, as they were accused of doing last year.
