Russia rejects Eurovision via satelite

Russia's state-controlled television has rejected an offer from organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest to allow their nation's contestant to perform via satellite link.

Channel One said that the offer for Julia Samoilova to perform in the event in Ukraine remotely was "strange", BBC News reports.

Samoilova has been banned from Ukraine, which hosts this year's contest, for entering annexed Crimea via Russia.

The Kremlin had called for a rethink of Ukraine's decision.

"We consider the offer of remote participation strange and reject it," Channel One said in a statement on Thursday quoted by Tass news agency, adding: "It completely contradicts the very essence of the event."

The offer to perform in the competition via satellite link is a first in Eurovision's 60-year-history, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said, adding that the contest had to "remain free from politics".

Samoilova is due to take part in the second semi-final of the song contest.

Jon Ola Sand, executive supervisor of Eurovision, earlier said that organisers were talking to Ukrainian authorities "with the ambition to have all artists present" in host city Kiev for May's contest.

He said: "It is imperative that the Eurovision Song Contest remains free from politics and as such, due to the circumstances surrounding Julia's travel ban, we have felt it important to propose a solution that transcends such issues.

Frank-Dieter Freiling, chairman of the governing body of the Eurovision Song Contest, said he hoped Ukraine would not enforce the travel ban and would instead "find a solution in line with the contest's slogan, celebrate diversity".