Burger King offers Ukraine 1bn rubles to let Russian Eurovision entrant perform

Burger King’s Russian office has written to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to request that he allow banned Russian Eurovision contestant Yulia Samoylova to enter Ukraine in order to take part in the competition. To sweeten the deal, the fast food giant has offered to contribute 1bn rubles ($14.5 million) to the Ukrainian budget.

According to a report by Russian magazine Afisha, a company spokesperson highlighted that the proposed donation would be given within the framework of the Burger King charitable programme in Russia.

Ms Samoylova has been barred from Ukraine for three years, over what the Ukrainian National Security Service has dubbed an “illegal” visit to the annexed Crimean peninsula in 2015. Last month, Russia’s Channel One and All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company announced that they would not broadcast this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in protest.

The 2017 Eurovision Song Contest final is due to take place on 13 May in Kiev, following the victory of Ukraine’s representative, Jamala, in the 2016 contest with the song 1944.

Source: Afisha (in Russian)