- We are disappointed with the EBU's decision and hope that it can still be changed.
We want Eurovision 2023 to be held in Ukraine, says Oleh Psiuk, frontman of the Eurovision winning group Kalush Orchestra, in a clip shared on the twitter account Nexta tv.
The EBU, a partner organization of European public service companies hosting Eurovision, announced on June 17 that, due to the security situation in Ukraine, it is judged that the country can not host the competition next year.
"Kyiv would be a great organizer"
The EBU justified the decision by saying that the competition takes almost a year to prepare and that the EBU together with an external reference group considered that the Ukrainian television company UA: PCB will not be able to meet all the necessary criteria.
The intended organizer is the United Kingdom, which came second in the competition, and this weekend the country's Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke on the issue.
- I think that Kyiv, or another safe city, would be a great organizer and I really hope that the EBU realizes that.
It is years ahead in time, it will go well, he says to AP.
Open letter
Criticism of the EBU is also directed at Ukraine.
Former Ukrainian Eurovision winner Ruslana has published an open letter on her Facebook page signed by the singer herself, Oleh Psiuk, 2014 winner Jamala, Ukraine's Minister of Culture and a representative of the television company UA: PBC demanding that the EBU change its decision.
"Arranging Eurovision 2023 in Ukraine sends a strong signal to the world that it supports Ukraine now," they write.
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Watch "Kalush" tell about how life was changed by the war in the clip.
Photo: Luca Bruno / TT / Lydia Farran-Lee / SVT