Director General of the National Television Company of Ukraine (NTU) Zurab Alasania says the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest are preparing sanctions against Ukraine for not allowing a Russian singer who violated Ukrainian laws when performing in the city of Kerch in occupied Crimea to participate in the contest.
Eurovision Song Contest Executive Supervisor Jon Ola Sand has announced that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will decide whether sanctions against Ukraine over a Russian contestant should be introduced or not after the competition is over.
Russian singer Yulia Samoilova, banned from entering the country in view of her violation of the Ukrainian legislation, namely her visit to the Russian-occupied Crimea in breach of the existing immigration rules, appeared at a festive concert in the occupied city of Sevastopol dedicated to the Victory Day.
Russia's Channel One has decided to cancel the broadcast of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in light of the entry ban issued by the Ukrainian authorities against Russian contestant Yulia Samoilova, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
Ukraine provides equal opportunities for all participants of the Eurovision-2017 international song contest, which will be held in Kyiv, but they must respect Ukrainian law.
Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Viacheslav Kyrylenko said Kyiv is ready to further clarify to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) the situation regarding the entry ban against Russian entrant Julia Samoilova if the issue of any sanctions arises following Eurovision-2017, Obozrevatel news outlet reports.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says Russia did not want participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv, as it was seeking provocation by sending singer Yulia Samoilova, who has violated Ukraine's entry and exit requirements while visiting Russia-occupied Crimea.
The Russian Federation may participate in Eurovision-2017 in Kyiv in case they select an entrant who did not violate Ukrainian legislation, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Vyacheslav Kyrylenko said on air of Ukrainian Radio.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which operates the Eurovision Song Contest, says Ukraine's National Public Broadcasting Company (UAPBC) might be excluded from future events if a Russian contestant is not allowed to participate in this year's competition in Kyiv, according to a letter sent by EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre to Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman on March 23.
The European Broadcasting Union in its statement issued March 23 offered that the Russian entrant to the Eurovision Song Contest, Julia Samoylova, perform via satellite broadcast.
The Kremlin is calling on Ukraine to review its entry ban on Russia's singer who planned to participate in this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv, Yulia Samoilova, according to Russian news agency TASS.