Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office on May 12 denied it had requested that he address the Eurovision song contest final scheduled for May 13 in Liverpool, England. The European Broadcasting Union, the organizer of the pan-European contest, said in a statement on May 12 that it had refused a request by Zelenskiy, citing the competition's "nonpolitical nature." "The office of the President of Ukraine did not contact the organizers of the Eurovision song contest to offer Volodymyr Zelensky's online address during the finals or at any other stage of the contest," spokesman Serhiy Nikiforov, wrote on Facebook on May 12. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
Zelenskiy's Office Denies He Made Request For Eurovision Speech
Music duo Tvorchi, performing on behalf of Ukraine, take part in a rehearsal ahead of the Eurovision Song contest 2023 at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, on May 10.