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Russia will not take part in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, organisers say, after host country Ukraine barred its entrant from entering the country.
Key points:
- Ukraine barred Russia's Eurovision entrant from entering the country because she performed a show in Crimea
- Ukraine says she violated government regulation by doing so
- Eurovision organisers say they provided two possible solutions for Russia, but both were rejected
Ukraine's security services banned Russian singer Yulia Samoylova from entering the country because she had toured in Crimea after Russia's 2014 annexation of the peninsula.
In response, Russia's state-owned broadcaster Channel One has refused to air the popular event.
In a statement, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said it had offered up two alternatives to Russia.
"These proposals were to either take part via satellite or to change their chosen artist to one who could legally travel to Ukraine for the duration of the contest," it said.
But both proposals were rejected.
"Unfortunately this means Russia will no longer be able to take part in this year's competition," the EBU said.
"We very much wanted all 43 countries to be able to participate and did all we could to achieve this."
The Ukrainian Security Council issued the three-year entry ban against Samoylova last month, citing her performance at a festival dubbed A World of Sports and Kindness, which was held in Crimea on June 27, 2015.
Ukraine's authorities said by performing in Crimea, Samoylova violated a Ukrainian government regulation, which stipulates that foreign citizens should receive special permission in order to enter Crimea.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. It considers the peninsula its sovereign territory.
Ukrainian Vice-Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kyrylenko said he would have liked this year's competition to receive contestants from all 43 countries, including Russia, but only as long as they "not be in a conflict to Ukraine's law".
Chairman of the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group, Frank Dieter Freiling, said the group strongly condemned Ukraine's ban on the singer.
"We believe it thoroughly undermines the integrity and non-political nature of the Eurovision Song Contest and its mission to bring all nations together in friendly competition.
Wires/ABC
Topics: music, arts-and-entertainment, world-politics, ukraine, russian-federation