Boris Johnson said Ukraine deserves to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest and hopes he will be able to do so despite the ongoing war with Russia.
The BBC is negotiating with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to host the event in the United Kingdom, which took second place in the 2022 competition after the body decided it could not take place in Ukraine as planned.
Speaking to RAF reporters Brize Norton after returning from an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Johnson said he believed it should be possible to continue the race there.
Ukrainians win Eurovision song contest. “I know we had a fantastic participation, I know we are second and I would like that to be in this country,” he said.
“But the fact is that they won and deserve to have it. I believe they can have it and I believe they should have it. I believe that Kyiv or any other safe Ukrainian city would be a fantastic place for him.
Johnson’s comments came after Ukrainian Culture Minister Alexander Tkachenko said the decision to move Eurovision was undermining his country after it was attacked by Russia. “Is it fair to take it away from a country that is fighting for democracy on behalf of the civilized world?” He asked.
Ukraine insisted it could host the song contest safely on its own territory and said it would oppose plans to relocate it to the United Kingdom.
Ukraine won this year’s competition with Stefania from the Kalush Orchestra, while spectators from across the continent gathered to vote for the song and show solidarity with the country. However, the EBU said the ongoing war meant that Ukraine would not be able to host the race safely and asked the BBC to host it in Britain instead.
Tkachenko said that the Ukrainian government and security services have presented detailed plans to the EBU and that the Ukrainian people are hurt by the decision to move the event. “Eurovision is not just a few hours of television, it is also a symbolic global event,” he said.
Organizers gave him only 20 minutes notice on Friday that he had decided to reject Ukraine’s proposals, he said.
Tkachenko held urgent talks with British Culture Minister Nadine Doris in a bid to find a solution, with the UK government still publicly hoping that Ukraine could host the competition.
“We have a common understanding that this needs to be discussed once again,” he said in a conversation with his UK counterpart.
Sources from the UK government suggest that if the BBC eventually hosts the competition, it will have a strong Ukrainian theme and focus on symbolic ties between the two countries. The BBC did its best not to sound optimistic in its statement, confirming the proposal to start negotiations.
Several British cities have already expressed interest in hosting next year’s competition, including Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester.
Tkachenko said cities should instead show solidarity with Ukraine, urging the competition to be held in his country. He said: “We love Britain for its full support of the Ukrainian resistance, but until we discuss it again with the EBU, this is not the time to start a discussion between cities in the UK.
He will not go into detail about Ukraine’s proposals, but they may include changes to the current Eurovision format, in which thousands of people attend the event live.
“We spoke to them a few days ago, presenting our vision of how we can host Eurovision in Ukraine, despite all the difficulties, but we did not receive any questions, either about security or anything else,” Tkachenko said.
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The EBU is more interested in its own hosting requirements and needs to “consider changing Eurovision rules for a country fighting for independence and democracy,” he said.
“We have every right to host Eurovision, according to the rules of Eurovision. Even if the possibilities are not discussed, the specific message is that the EBU is more interested in its own rules than in helping to protect democracy and find a solution in the interests of both parties.
He also said that there are other plans that Eurovision organizers have not considered, which could include some elements of the contest, which is being held in Ukraine. “We have proposed quite interesting solutions. There were different options, as well as with the participation of other countries, “he said.
“I believe there is a solution… Ukraine simply cannot be removed from hosting, but it can fully participate in it in one way or another.”
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