Ukraine, which won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, on Friday denounced the decision to withdraw hosting the next edition for security reasons following the Russian invasion of its territory.
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“Ukraine does not agree with the nature of the decision by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU),” Culture Minister Oleksandre Tkatchenko said in a statement. “We call for additional negotiations on hosting Eurovision 2023 in Ukraine.”
“We will demand that this decision be changed because we believe we can honor all the commitments we have made,” added the minister, assuring that his country has so far “fulfilled all the conditions” and “provided answers and security guarantees”. Standards” with a view to organizing the next edition of the competition.
The EBU said earlier today it was studying the possibility of second-placed Britain replacing Ukraine to host the next Eurovision Song Contest.
“Under the current circumstances, the security and operational guarantees required for the hosting, organization and production of Eurovision (…) cannot be met by Ukraine,” the EBU said in a statement.
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February, killing tens of thousands and causing massive destruction.
About 20% of Ukrainian territory is currently occupied by the Russian military, and many other areas are hit by Russian missile attacks on an almost daily basis.
The country of the group or artist who won the Eurovision Song Contest should normally organize the competition the following year.
The Kalush Orchestra of Ukraine, whose song “Stefania” mixes hip-hop and traditional music, won the competition in Italy on May 15, ahead of Britain and Spain, thanks to the votes of the audience who voted for the group representing that country .