Ukraine has banned Russia's Eurovision contender from entering the country for this year's competition in Kiev.
Wheelchair-bound singer Yulia Samoylova will not be allowed to compete in May's contest because of her unauthorised entry into Russian-annexed Crimea in 2015, Ukrainian security services said yesterday.
Samoylova entered the peninusula, which was seized by Moscow in 2014, directly through Russia. Ukrainian law stipulates entry into the region must be made through Ukraine and as such, has the power to ban the singer.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Moscow condemned the decision as "another outrageous, cynical and inhumane act" by the authorities in Kiev.
Eurovision organisers said they were "deeply disappointed" by the move, adding that it "goes against both the spirit of the contest and the notion of inclusivity that lies at the heart of its values".
The Financial Times warns that further political disputes are likely.
"Ukrainian officials have also threatened to ban Armenia's entry, Artsvik Harutyunyan, over a concert she gave in Crimea," the newspaper reports.
This is the second year running in which Eurovision has been hit by Crimea-linked controversy, writes The Guardian.
Ukrainian contestant Jamala won last year's competition in Sweden with a politically charged song about the deportation of Crimeans under Joseph Stalin.
-
5 artfully drawn cartoons about Donald Trump's Epstein doodleCartoons Artists take on a mountainous legacy, creepy art, and more
-
Violent videos of Charlie Kirk’s death are renewing debate over online censorshipTalking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU officesSpeed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peaceSpeed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
What will security guarantees for Ukraine look like?Today's Big Question From boots on the ground to economic sanctions, here are the measures that might stop Russia taking another bite out of Ukraine
-
Russia tries Ukraine land grab before Trump summitSpeed Read The incursion may be part of Putin's efforts to boost his bargaining position
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Why are Ukraine's anti-corruption issues roaring back into focus now?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION A new bill curbing anti-corruption bodies prompted Ukraine's first mass protests against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in years. Where are the roots of this domestic unrest, and what could it mean for Ukraine's future?
