The owners of the Eurovision song contest have turned down a request from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a video appearance during the final, motivated by unwillingness “to politicize the event," The Times reports.

“A request by the Ukrainian leader to make a surprise video appearance during the final, in which he [Zelenskyy] was expected to urge the global audience of 160 million to continue their support for his country in the face of Russian aggression, was turned down by event owners,” The Times said on its website.

It is noted that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which unites more than 100 broadcasters who are watching the competition, and the BBC is acting as a presenter this year, “is concerned that Zelenskyi’s appearance could politicize the event.”

“The Eurovision song contest is an international entertainment show governed by strict rules and principles established since its inception. Within this framework, one of the cornerstones of the competition is the non-political nature of the event,” The Times quoted the stance of the contest organisers.