We’ve been waiting with baited breath since Saturday night, and now we have our answer – despite winning Vidbir 2019, Maruv will not be representing Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019

After hours of meetings between Maruv’s team and the Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC earlier today, the two parties could not reach a consensus and the contract for Eurovision participation was left unsigned.

Although it’s been noted that the result of Vidbir 2019 were in order, Maruv’s participation in Tel Aviv has had a question mark over it in part due to the singer’s tour in Russia – a country Ukraine has had a strained political relationship with for several years now. Indeed, the CEO of UA:PBC commented “performing in the aggressor country gives a negative resonance in the society“.

Maruv also took issue with several clauses in the contract, which she elaborated on via social media. These included no improvisation on stage, a transfer of the song’s copyright and a ban on speaking to journalists without the prior approval of the broadcaster. Breaking these terms would incur a 2 million hryvnia fine – that’s €65,460 / £56,744!

Below is an excerpt of what Maruv said about her not taking part in Eurovision 2019 on Facebook in the original Ukrainian, followed by a translation in English.

Я искренне благодарю и ценю каждого, кто в меня верил и голосовал. И прошу вас принять этот факт и не идти на конфронтацию. Это данность сегодняшнего дня. Я хочу дарить свое творчество без цензуры.

I sincerely thank and appreciate everyone who believed in me and voted. And I ask you to accept this fact and not to go to confrontation. This is the given of today. I want to give my creativity without censorship.

The decision regarding who will sing for Ukraine in Tel Aviv in May will be made in the coming days.

Author:James Scanlan
Source: ESC Bubble, Facebook
Image Source: UA: PBC