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Ukraine to contest fine for barring Russian Eurovision participant

The Ukrainian company said it could not influence the decision-making on the issue in any manner.

KIEV, June 30. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Ukraine’s National Public Broadcasting Company (UA:PBC) said on Thursday it would contest the fine, imposed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for barring a Russian contestant from taking part in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.

"Sanctions against UA:PBC are baseless. The company will contest the sanctions under the rules and the charter of the EBU," the Ukrainian broadcaster said in a statement.

The Ukrainian company said that it had no control over border regime and regulations and could not influence the decision-making on the issue in any manner.

"The issue of crossing borders and sanctions for violating them is outside the area of competence of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine," the statement reads.

Ukraine’s capital of Kiev hosted the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest on May 9-13. Russian contestant Yulia Samoilova could not participate as the Ukrainian Security Council (SBU) had issued a three-year travel ban against her, citing her performance in Crimea on June 27, 2015. Following the ban, Russia’s Channel One cancelled the contest broadcast.

The Contest's steering committee, the ESC Reference Group, informed UA:PBC on Thursday that in line with the rules of the competition it should receive a substantial fine for severe delays which created unnecessary difficulties for the production of the 2017 Eurovision song contest and for failure to adequately fulfill its obligations with regards to cooperating with the EBU over the participation of the Russian artist.

The EBU believes that as a result of Ukraine's move, attention was drawn away from the competition and the brand reputation of the Eurovision Song Contest was endangered.