Eurovision 2017: Why Russia was included in the draw

The order of performance for the participants in the semi-finals of the Eurovision 2017 contest was recently announced. Many fans of the project were puzzled to find Russia on the list of participants, whose representative the SBU promised not to allow into Ukrainian territory.

Some suspected a hidden meaning or behind-the-scenes manoeuvring. The news was immediately picked up by numerous media outlets, claiming that Ukraine had been forced to accept Yulia Samoylova.

In reality, the situation is much simpler and more prosaic. Russia had not officially withdrawn from the contest, so it took part in the draw. The fact that its representative, Yulia Samoylova, will not be allowed into Kyiv is a settled matter; however, her candidacy has not been officially withdrawn from the contest, which is why she appeared on the list of participants.