EBU says Russia’s suspension from 2018 Eurovision Song Contest possible

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) does not rule out the possibility of suspending Russia from participation in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, EBU Senior Communications officer Dave Goodman told TASS on Friday.

When asked if Russia could be suspended from the 2018 contest following Channel One’s decision to cancel the broadcast of the 2017 event, Goodman said that “right now the EBU’s focus is on this year’s contest.” “Any decision on actions that may or may not be taken around this situation will only be taken after the event itself,” he added.

Russia’s Channel One earlier announced that it would not broadcast the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in light of the entry ban issued by the Ukrainian authorities against the Russian entrant.

On March 12, Channel One announced that wheelchair-bound singer Yulia Samoilova had been chosen to represent Russia at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.

On March 22, the Ukrainian Security Council (SBU) issued a three-year entry ban against Samoilova, citing her performance at a festival dubbed “A World of Sports and Kindness” held in Crimea on June 27, 2015.