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May 12 (UPI) -- The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest ruled Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cannot deliver a video address to the event being held in Liverpool due to its "non-political nature." The principle of Eurovision being non-political prohibited the possibility of political or similar statements being a part of the contest, the European Broadcast Union said in a news release.
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"The request by Mr. Zelensky to address the audience at the Eurovision Song Contest, whilst made with laudable intentions, regrettably cannot be granted by the European Broadcasting Union management as it would be against the rules of the event," said the Geneva-based EBU.
The victory of Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra in 2022 meant the country should have hosted this year's contest but it was agreed to hold it in Britain instead due to security concerns following Russia's invasion.
The union stressed that it had worked hard with the BBC, which is hosting the event on behalf of Ukraine's UA:PBC network, to ensure Ukraine's music, culture and creativity would feature strongly in all three live shows Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The EBU pointed out that at least 11 Ukrainian artists, including Kalush Orchestra would perform or feature in the two semi-finals or Saturday's final while the branding was created in cooperation with a Ukrainian design agency and incidental music featured throughout was composed with Ukrainian musicians.
Short films introducing each artist feature three-dozen locations around Ukraine.
"We believe that this is the best way to reflect and celebrate Ukraine's Eurovision Song Contest win and show we are United By Music during these hard times," EBU said.
A Ukraine government spokesperson denied Zelensky's office had ever sought to address the events, which was first reported in the British newspaper, The Times.
"The Times information does not correspond to reality. The Office of the President of Ukraine did not address the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest to offer Vladimir Zelensky's online performance during the finals or at any other stage of the contest," Press Secretary Sergii Nykyforov said in a Facebook post.
Nevertheless, the EBU's position sparked a backlash with critics attacking its characterization of the war in Ukraine as political.
"To define the war as 'political; is shameless, a criminal war, war crimes and actions for genocide are not a matter of politics but of human rights, peoples lives and fundamental moral, and the International Court of Justice," Sweden's Gunnar Hokmark, former MEP, European People's Party vice-chair and Stockholm Free World Forum chair, wrote on Twitter.
Speaking to The Times, former British Conservative Culture Secretary Ed Vaizey called EBU's ruling "pathetic."
"The only reason the contest is being held here is because of the conflict in Ukraine and it would be courteous to allow Zelensky to make a statement about why Ukraine is in the very unfortunate position of not being able to host," said Vaizey.
Zelensky has given a number of remote addresses since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 including the Cannes and Berlin film festivals, but it is not the first time he had been rebuffed.
The U.S. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences refused to let him address two Oscars ceremonies, while a "message of peace" Zelensky wanted to give to the Football World Cup in Qatar in December was reportedly blocked by the international football governing body, FIFA.
