Zelensky was banned from speaking at the Eurovision Song Contest closing ceremony.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to send a video message during the closing ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest was refused, according to the European Broadcasting Union, which is responsible for organizing the contest, on Thursday.
“Zelinski’s request to address the Eurovision Song Contest audience, although well-intentioned, unfortunately cannot be approved because it contravenes the rules of the musical event,” the federation said.
“One of the constants of the competition is its non-political nature. Based on this principle, it is forbidden to make any political statements or the like during the event,” the federation said.
The competition will be held this year in Liverpool (Northern England), after the United Kingdom offered to host it instead of Ukraine, which won the last round and was supposed to host the event, but the war on its soil prevented that.
The European Broadcasting Union indicated that the closing ceremony of the competition, which will be held on Saturday and in which 26 countries will compete, will witness a tribute to Ukraine, with the presence of 11 Ukrainian artists on the stage, including the Kalush band, which won last year’s session.
During the evening, video clips from different Ukrainian regions will be shown.
Liverpool raises the curtain on a memorial that is a “symbol of hope” for Ukraine.
The aluminum sculpture depicts a man holding a book, from within which a dove flies with a Ukrainian flag.
The statue will be placed in the “Strawberry Field” park, from which the “Beatles” band inspired the title of one of its songs, and the sculpture will be transferred to Ukraine when peace returns to it.
Russia was excluded from the competition, as it was last year, due to its invasion of Ukraine.
