Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cannot deliver a speech at the Eurovision Song Contest before this weekend’s final.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which produces the contest, said it had rejected its request to face the public at Saturday’s event.
The contest is being held in the UK with the BBC on behalf of Ukraine this year, which saw the war-torn country triumph in Turin last year following a surge of voters.
“The Eurovision Song Contest is a foreign entertainment exhibition that is governed by strict rules and principles that have been established since its inception,” an EBU said.
“In this context, one of the pillars of the festival is the apolitical nature of the event.
“This provision prohibits the option of making political statements or within the framework of the contest. “
He added that Zelenskyy’s request to face the public at the pageant “unfortunately cannot be granted because it would go against the rules of the event,” was made with “laudable intentions. “
Welcome to our policy of war in Ukraine.
Before we start introducing you to the latest updates, here’s a reminder of yesterday’s key events:
Russia introduced at least 28 airstrikes and six missile strikes today, Ukraine’s armed forces said.
Most of the attacks targeted the eastern cities of Sloviansk, Kostiantynivka and Zaporizhzhia, he said in an update on the situation.
In Bakhmut, the town that has the scene of the fiercest fighting, Russia carried out “more than 30 attacks” in spaces along the front line.
“Unfortunately there are dead and wounded among the civilian population,” he added.
“The risk of missile launches and airstrikes on Ukrainian territory remains high. “
U. S. senators have accused the Pentagon of undermining war crimes trials opposed to Russia by blocking the U. S. military’s intelligence sharing with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Democrat Dick Durbin said ICC lead prosecutor Karim Khan told him the U. S. State Department and Justice Department were cooperating.
But the Ministry of Defense refused, Mr. Durbin.
“Why are you reluctant to share the evidence that we have accumulated in the United States through the Department of Defense with those who hold Vladimir Putin accountable for his war crimes?” asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Austin gave a detailed defense of his position, but said he would “always prioritize coverage of U. S. Army personnel. “UU”.
The ICC, a permanent war crimes tribunal, issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March for allegedly deporting young people from Ukraine, which would amount to a war crime.
“Why are we withholding evidence against this war thief Vladimir Putin and the horrible things he is doing?I don’t perceive it at all,” Durbin added.
A State Department spokesman said the United States supports “a number of investigations into war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine. “
The EU has observed any significant arms smuggling into Europe from wartime Ukraine, the European Commission’s most sensible home affairs official has said.
“I have to say that we have noticed any commercial smuggling of firearms from Ukraine,” Johansson said.
However, there have been some individual cases of small arms and light weapons being transported out of the country, mainly via Americans attempting to take out weapons as “trophies or for private protection”.
“They are taken, of course, to the border through border guards,” Johansson said.
He added that the arms smuggling factor topped the list of topics discussed at his meeting with Ukrainian Interior Minister Oleksandr Klymenko.
An assassination attempt carried out against a Russian-appointed court president in Melitopol, a Moscow governor for the Zaporizhzhia region reported.
The southeastern Ukrainian city has been under Russian control since March last year.
“As a result of the assassination attempt, there were no injuries, but two guards were injured. They are in a medical center, they are receiving all mandatory assistance,” Yevgeny Balitsky said, Telegram said.
This is the latest in a series of assassination attempts in Melitopol in weeks.
Last week, an attempt was made to assassinate the area’s deputy police chief, and in April, another police chief was attacked and killed by an improvised explosive device.
Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly met with Pope Francis on Saturday, diplomatic resources told Reuters.
The Ukrainian president will meet with the leader at the Vatican, he added.
The two leaders have spoken by phone several times since Russia introduced its invasion, the first time less than 48 hours after the war.
During the call, the Pope reportedly expressed his solidarity with the country.
Earlier in the day, the UK announced it would send long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.
But Sky News understands that some are already in the country.
Military analyst Sean Bell said the weapons are around £2 million each, so “piles of stocks to dispose of” will be sent to Kiev.
“The UK bought 1000 and used 98Array. . . the truth here is that they’re 25 years old and the UK is trying to update them, but they’re not going to update each and every 902, so we have quite a load for disposition or use,” he adds.
“It’s a fact in heaven somehow. “
Nine other people were wounded in a Russian bombing of a town in eastern Ukraine.
Russian troops fired artillery at Toretsk in Donetsk around 1 p. m. this afternoon and back two hours later, Ukraine’s prosecutor general said.
At the time of the incident, Russia used a formula of rocket launchers and the projectiles hit the residential component of the city, he added.
“Five men and 3 women were injured in varying degrees and degrees of severity. Among those affected was a full circle of relatives: the parents and their child,” he added.
Sky’s army analyst, Professor Michael Clarke, explains the main issues surrounding Ukraine’s counteroffensive.