The organizers of Eurovision do not plan to ban Russia’s participation yet

For the time being, the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest plan to allow Russian representatives to perform at the upcoming event in Turin, Italy, in May, despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The organizers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), described Eurovision as “a non-political cultural event that brings countries together and celebrates diversity through music”.

The statement said that representatives of both Ukraine and Russia were currently scheduled to take the Eurovision stage in Turin in May, while stressing that the situation was being assessed on an ongoing basis.

Ukrainian state broadcaster UA: PBC has called on the EBU to suspend Russia’s membership and ban its representatives from this year’s contest, insisting that Russian broadcasters are the Kremlin’s mouthpiece, helping to spread political propaganda and engaging in “systematic misinformation” about the neighboring country.

The 66th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Turin after the Italian rock band Maneskin won last year.

Ukraine had chosen singer Alina Pasha to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Shadows Of Forgotten Ancestors”, but it was reported that in 2015 she visited Russia’s annexed Crimean peninsula, which Ukraine considers illegal border crossing.

Ukraine decided to send the Kalush Orchestra to Turin instead.

Russia has not yet announced its presence at the Eurovision Song Contest.

LETA has already reported that Latvia will be represented by the group “Other Boys”, which this month won the competition “Supernova 2022” organized by Latvian Television with the song “Eat Your Salad”.

The lottery has revealed that the Latvian song will be performed in the first semifinals on May 10 at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. Albania, Switzerland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Portugal, Denmark, Armenia, Austria, Croatia, Iceland and Greece will also take part. The second semi-final of Eurovision will take place on May 12, the final – on May 14.

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