Eurovision organizers have denied rumors about Russia's possible return
Martin Green, Executive Director of the Eurovision Song Contest, has officially denied reports that Russian representatives might be allowed to return to the competition. The categorical statement was made during a special press conference on the eve of the grand final in Vienna in response to a direct question from journalists regarding the position of European organizers amid the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.
This was reported by Suspilne Culture. The project director emphasized that no official negotiations or behind-the-scenes consultations on this matter are currently taking place.
The heated discussion was sparked by a previous report by the British radio station LBC, which misinterpreted the official’s remarks regarding purely theoretical conditions for countries’ membership in the language union. Russian state media outlets, in particular the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK), completely lost the right to send their artists back in 2022, immediately after the start of the full-scale invasion. The contest organizers emphasized that the baseless rumors in the press arose due to a misinterpretation of the criteria for media independence from the Kremlin, but there are absolutely no real plans to reinstate the aggressor country.
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