Ukraine has announced that they will be competing in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, Italy, despite Russia’s ongoing invasion of their country.
This year, the country has selected the group Kalush Orchestra to represent Ukraine with their song Stefania. However, one member of the music group has joined the war effort to defend their country. In an Instagram video, uploaded by Ukraine’s broadcaster Suspilne, front rapper Oleh Psiuk has announced that while they will be participating in the contest, they are “doing everything possible to help our country.”
“I cannot enjoy it [Eurovision] while I am worried for my loved ones. The war separated me and my girlfriend. She is 300kms away from me. We cannot meet because it is very dangerous,” Psiuk said in an interview with Reuters. He is also running a volunteer group of 20 people who are aiding in the supply of medicines and helping anyone who wants to flee the war.
The Ukrainian delegation has announced that the band will submit a live-on-tape recording of the performance that will be filmed near the polish borders and will be used as a backup if the group can’t make it in person to Italy.
Meanwhile, in Italy, Claudio Fasulo Deputy Director of the Italian broadcaster Rai 1 has revealed during a press conference that the key theme for this year’s song contest is peace.
“The themes of peace will be at the center of this edition of Eurovision. We have three presenters who fill us with pride – Laura Pausini, Alessandro Cattelan and Mika – who are perfectly complementary and will bring a lot of themselves into the construction of the show. We want to bring important content to the event, which speaks of peace and are appropriate for this delicate moment.”
The 66th Eurovision Song Contest will be hosted in Turin, Italy after the country won last year’s contest with the song “Zitti e Buoni” by Måneskin. The event will be hosted at the Pala Olimpico on May 10, 12, and 14. Forty countries are participating in this year’s contest, with Russia suspended from competing in the event.
