Channel One has refused the European Broadcasting Union’s proposal for Yulia Samoilova to perform in Eurovision 2017 remotely.

Channel One has released a statement this evening stating that they will not accept the EBU’s offer to allow Yulia Samoilova to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest via satellite link. Yulia Samoilova is currently banned from entering Ukraine for a period of three years, following a decision by the SBU, the Ukrainian Security Service. Yulia was found to have breached a law stating that it is illegal to enter Crimea through a non-Ukrainian border post.

With regards to the offer to allow Yulia to perform in the contest from Russia, the channel stated:

We consider the offer remote participation strange and reject it, since it is clearly contrary to the very purpose of the event, which is has a strict rule of performing as part of a live broadcast on the stage of “Eurovision”. We believe that the European Broadcasting Union should not reinvent the rules for the Russian delegation in 2017 and is able to hold the competition in accordance with their same rules.

The broadcaster added that Channel One had acted in full accordance with the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest when selecting Yulia. Stating:

According to the rules of the “Eurovision”, the host broadcasting country should provide all participants “the ability to acquire an entrance visa for the entire duration of the event

The statement from Channel One comes after Ukrainian authorities also refused the proposal of the EBU to allow Yulia to perform remotely. The Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Tweeted that broadcasts containing individuals who are banned from Ukraine are not legal within Ukraine and as a result the EBU’s proposal would violate Ukrainian law. The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated his call from yesterday, in which he stated that Russia will be welcome in the contest if the select another artist who does not violate Ukrainian laws.

The organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 are yet to respond to the decision of Channel One.

Source: Channel One