Displaced Ukrainians flock to Eurovision contest, but Zelenskyy can’t address ‘nonpolitical’ event

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — This weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in a city brimming with Ukrainian flags, Ukrainian food, Ukrainian musicians and Ukrainian fans: Liverpool. The English port city that gave the world The Beatles is using the contest to offer displaced Ukrainians a taste of home. Many pubs and venues are holding Eurovision parties, businesses fly blue and yellow Ukrainian flags, and a Ukrainian village inside the waterfront Eurovision fan zone dishes out Ukrainian food. One element that will be missing, though, is President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Eurovision organizers barred him from addressing the Saturday final of the pan-continental music competition. The European Broadcasting Union says letting Zelenskyy participate would breach “the nonpolitical nature of the event.”