LONDON — Ukraine has barred Russia’s contender in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest from entering the country for three years, effectively banning her from the final in Kiev next month. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said Wednesday that Yulia Samoylova had been banned for breaking Ukrainian law. Samoylova, 27, who uses a wheelchair, was selected as Russia’s entry for the Eurovision contest by Russia’s state-owned Channel 1 this month. Ukraine won the right to stage the 62nd Eurovision song contest after its entrant won the 2016 competition. The usually kitsch song contest took on major political overtones in 2016 when Jamala, the Ukrainian contestant, squared off against Russia’s Sergei Lazarev.

Source: National Post March 23, 2017 15:22 UTC