New Scandal Surrounding Eurovision: Director's Shocking Statement

The Eurovision director Martin Green stated on LBC that Russia's exclusion was not related to the military operations in Ukraine. According to him, the main reason is the dependence of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) on the government's leadership, which violates the structure's charter. He also noted that a return of the Russian side is possible under appropriate conditions.

Speaking about Israel, the director emphasized that there is no 'global consensus' regarding the events in Gaza, which is why similar restrictions have not been imposed. In Green's words, in the absence of an international unified stance, the organizers adopt a wait-and-see approach to avoid personal assessments.

These clarifications have sparked criticism from British lawmakers. Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs Josh Newbury and Tom Gordon condemned the leadership, stressing that such a stance undermines the democratic principles and values of the competition.

It should be noted that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) made the decision to exclude Russia on February 25, 2022, stating that it could harm the project's ratings. The following day, leading Russian radio and television companies announced their decision to suspend their membership in the union.

Earlier, we reported that the Israeli public television had 'connected' Armenia with Azerbaijan. During the Eurovision semi-final broadcast on the Israeli Kan 11 channel, the flag of Azerbaijan was used at the moment of displaying Armenia and Azerbaijan.