A board member at UA:PBC has stated that a final decision on whether MARUV will represent Ukriane at Eurovision 2019 will be taken within 48 hours.
MARUV who won Vidbir 2019 is still not officially the Ukrainian entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest. Ms Koltsova told the press that MARUV was given a contract yesterday that outlines the conditions she must meet to be able to represent Ukraine in Tel Aviv. MARUV now has 24 hours from being given that contract to provide a response to all of the questions in the contract.
The questions from UA:PBC come as a result of the Ukrainian singer having performed multiple times in Russia. The singer also has a number of performances and appearances scheduled in Russia in the next couple of months.
Ms Koltsova of UA:PBC stated:
Now we have to approve or agree on the winner, who will travel from Ukraine. And we, as UA:PBC, listen to society. In society today there are different opinions, can a performer who has a concert activity in Russia represent Ukraine. There is a point in our contract that we need to discuss with MARUV.
Regarding whether there is a clause in the contract that requires the cancellation of any future concerts in Russia she explained:
We have a clause in the contract that provides for certain decisions – they have to accept it.
The representative of UA:PBC also refused to comment on whether second place Freedom Jazz would represent Ukraine in Tel Aviv, should MARUV fail to meet the contract’s rules.
Source: UNIAN
Ukraine first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003, when Oleksandr Ponomariov performed “Hasta la vista”. The following year Ruslana brought the country their first win with the song “Wild Dances”. It was a feat that would be replicated in 2016 by Jamala with her song “1944”; her emotionally charged song scored a record 534 points to take victory in Stockholm. In 2017 O.Torvald represented the country on home soil with the song “Time”. The group finished in 24th place, Ukraine’s worst result at the contest to date.
