Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Maruv was chosen as Ukraine's entry but withdrew from the competition

Ukraine has pulled out of this year's Eurovision Song Contest after its selection process became embroiled in political tensions involving Russia.

Pop singer Maruv, who won Ukraine's public vote, withdrew from the contest on Tuesday, saying she refused to be used as a "political tool".

Two other bands were then approached by the national broadcaster, but both declined to take part.

The broadcaster has now chosen not to attend the contest in Israel in May.

The row comes amid Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia, which centres around the annexation of Crimea by Russian forces in 2014.

Maruv was asked to sign a contract saying she would not play concerts in Russia in the lead-up to Eurovision. The 27-year-old said she was willing to accept this condition, but argued that other clauses would have made her a mouthpiece for propaganda.

"I am a musician, rather than a tool of the the political stage," she wrote in a statement announcing her withdrawal.

The second- and third-placed contestants in Ukraine's televised selection contest were invited to replace her, but both were unwilling to step in.

"We would have been honoured to represent Ukraine," wrote dance act Kazka on their Instagram page. "But we do not need a win at any price. Our mission is to unite people with music, not to sow discord."

Systemic problem

Faced with the prospect of more bands pulling out of the process, broadcaster UA:PBC decided to leave the contest altogether.

"The song contest is an opportunity for every country to announce itself in the international arena, and for each performer to act as an ambassador," it said in a statement.

"But the national selection 2019 revealed... a systemic problem in Ukraine's music industry: The connection of artists to the territory of the aggressor state.

"For some parts society, this fact is acceptable. In others, it causes indignation and rejection."

The broadcaster said it would initiate a series of "talk shows, forums and discussions" to help resolve the issue.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Several bands, including dance act Kazka, have pulled out of the contest

Eurovision expert Dr Paul Jordan described the situation as "a bit of a mess".

Dr Jordan, who earned a PhD with a dissertation on Ukraine's participation in Eurovision, said Maruv's entry, Siren Song, had been one of this year's favourites.

"There's not much of a buzz about the songs that have been selected so far, whereas people were raving about the Ukrainian entry," he said.

"It was quite provocative. I do think it would have had a good chance of scoring quite strongly."

Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.</s>The decision was made after winners of the national finals refused to sign deals with a local broadcaster.

Ukraine has withdrawn from the Eurovision song contest following a rights dispute between the country's national public broadcaster and the singer who was set to represent her country at the wildly popular pan-national singing competition.

The Ukrainian singer Maruv won a public vote to represent the country at Eurovision, which this year will be held in Tel Aviv, Israel, and has now dropped out of the contest, citing a conflict dispute with the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC). In a statement on its website Wednesday, the UA:PBC said it had offered Maruv a contract to represent Ukraine at Eurovision, as it does every year with the winner of the country's national finals. "However, upon negotiations, Maruv refused to sign a contract," the broadcaster said.

Maruv, whose real name is Anna Korsun, said she would not accept UA:PBC's conditions, which included a ban on performing in Russia —Ukraine is at loggerheads with Moscow over Russia's annexation of Crimea five years ago. Ukraine still considers Crimea its territory.

Korsun said the network's contract included clauses banning her from talking to the press without UA:PBC's consent and barring her from any kind of improvisation during her performance. She would also have to hand over to the Ukraine broadcaster all rights to her Eurovision performance, even though, the singer said, those rights are already owned by Warner Music.

Ukraine bands Freedom Jazz and Kazka, which took second and third places in the Ukrainian national finals, also refused to sign contracts with UA:PBC, leading to the decision to pull out of Eurovision entirely.

Maruv was already a controversial choice. Some Ukrainian politicians argued she should not be allowed to represent the country because she has regularly performanced in Russia. Many local fans, however, support the singer.

European power politics have often played a role in the televised song competition, which, on its surface, looks much like a cheesier version of American Idol. (Although Eurovision predates Idol by several decades.) In 2016, the Ukrainian singer Jamala won the Eurovision Song Contest with a politically-charged song about WWII deportations of Crimean Tatars from Crimea by the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. When Ukraine hosted the contest in 2017—the winning nation always hosts the next Eurovision contest— Ukraine banned the Russian singer Yulia Samoilova from participating, because she had performed in Crimea,

This year's Eurovision in Tel Aviv has been overshadowed by calls for a boycott of the event by the pro-Palestinian Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions group which encourages artists to protest the Israeli government's treatment of the Palestinian people.</s>Ukraine have pulled out of the Eurovision Song Contest after it's selection process became embroiled in a political row over performing in Russia.

Pop singer Murav had won the public vote but decided to withdraw from the contest on Tuesday, saying she refused to be a 'political tool.'

The 27-year-old said she had been asked to sign a contract saying she would not perform gigs in Russia in the lead-up to the competition.

Murav, real name Anna Korsun, said she was willing to accept this condition, but claimed other clauses would have made her a 'tool' for propoganda.

She said in a statement: "I am a musician, rather than a tool of the the political stage."

After Murav pulled out of the contest, the second and third placed contest were both asked to step in - but both declined.

Dance act Kazka said: "We would have been honoured to represent Ukraine. But we do not need a win at any price. Our mission is to unite people with music, not to sow discord."

Following the fall-out Ukraine has decided to leave the contest altogether.

Broadcaster UA:PBC said in a statemebt: "The song contest is an opportunity for every country to announce itself in the international arena, and for each performer to act as an ambassador.

"But the national selection 2019 revealed... a systemic problem in Ukraine's music industry: The connection of artists to the territory of the aggressor state.

"For some parts society, this fact is acceptable. In others, it causes indignation and rejection."

Ukrainian singers ave previously won Eurovision in 2004 and 2016. 

 

 The Eurovision contest, hosted by Ukraine in 2017, was also dogged by controversy. Russia boycotted the event after Ukraine barred its entrant, Yulia Samoylova, because she had performed in Crimea without Kiev's permission.

The 2019 contest will be held in Tel Aviv, Israel on Saturday May 19.</s>Ukraine has dropped its entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest after she refused to sign a contract temporarily barring her from performing in Russia.

Maruv was chosen by a public vote on Saturday to represent Ukraine at Eurovision with her track Siren Song.

However, just days later, the Ukrainian public broadcaster UA:PBC has said that her win did not automatically guarantee Maruv was going to perform in Tel Aviv, and claimed she was ‘politicising’ the contest.

They said in a statement: ‘UA:PBC provides MARUV as the winner of the national selection with an agreement for consideration, specifying the terms of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. The official announcement of the representative of Ukraine at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest will take place after signing the participation agreement.

‘[…] the performer representing Ukraine at the international stage, upon signing an agreement with UA:PBC, also has commitments of becoming a cultural ambassador of Ukraine and delivering not only their music but also expressing the opinion of the Ukrainian society in the world. After the negotiations, UA:PBC and the singer MARUV have not found common ground in the mission of the representative of Ukraine at the international song contest.

‘In addition, according to the Rules of the Eurovision Song Contest (p.2.6), the Participating Broadcaster must ensure the non-political character of the contest. The situation around the national selection this year has signs of politicisation. The social resonance, attempts of pressure by political forces, intervention of cultural figures and informational structures of the aggressor state with this discussion have actually caused politicization of the results of the national selection.’

They concluded: ‘The Public Service Broadcaster sees danger of escalation of the split of the Ukrainian society in this situation, which contradicts the objectives of the Public Service Broadcaster (according to the Law of Ukraine on Public Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, facilitating the consolidation of the Ukrainian society is one of the main objectives of UA:PBC).’

It has since been claimed that Maruv – real name Anna Korsun – refused to sign a contract which temporarily banned her from performing in Russia amid tensions between the two countries.

Talks stalled on Monday after Korsun was given 24 hours to sign the contract.

The singer said that while she was willing to cancel her next Russian tour, other stipulations in the contract amounted to ‘censorship’.

The 27-year-old wrote on Facebook: ‘I am a citizen of Ukraine, pay taxes and sincerely love Ukraine.

‘But I am not ready to address [people] with slogans, turning my participation in the contest into the promotion of our politicians. I am a musician, rather than a bat at the political stage.

‘I sincerely thank and appreciate everyone who believed in me and voted. I ask you to accept this situation and not to take a confrontational path.’

The Ukrainian Culture Ministry agreed with the decision to choose another entrant, claiming only ‘patriots who are aware of their responsibility’.

 UA:PBC will be choosing another contestant to represent Ukraine at Eurovision in Israel this May.

Ukraine has won twice at Eurovision – in 2004, with Ruslana’s Wild Dances, and in 2016, with 1944 by Jamala, which was written about the deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union.

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MORE: BTS break personal record as they scoop five Japan Golden Disc Awards</s>Who will represent Ukraine at the annual Eurovision Song Contest, the continent’s over-the-top camp crooner festival?

 

 Pop diva Maruv was the initial pick after wowing the crowd in Kyiv on February 23 at the national final used to select the country’s entrant for Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv in May.

 

 But despite winning after singing her provocative Siren Song, Maruv -- whose real name is Anna Korsun -- won’t be going.

Along with others, including several top politicians, the country’s national broadcaster suspects she’s just not patriotic enough and ruled her out, sparking outrage among her legions of fans on social media.

 

 The reason?

Apparently, Maruv’s decision to tour in Russia after 2014 -- when Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and began supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine with arms and other aid in a conflict that has cost some 13,000 lives.

 

 It wouldn’t be the first time politics has reared its ugly head at Eurovision, despite the best efforts by the pop-music contest's organizers to keep it out.

 

 In 2017, Ukraine banned Russia’s entry from coming to Kyiv to take part in that year’s contest due to her visiting Crimea without asking Kyiv for permission.

 

 The Ukrainian National Public Broadcaster (UA:PBC) offered the 27-year-old pop singer a way out: sign a temporary contract not to perform in Russia and she would be allowed to perform in Israel in May.

 

 Maruv said she was OK with canceling her shows in Russia but objected to other stipulations in the deal.

 

 After talks broke down on February 25, Maruv posted to Facebook that the terms amounted to “censorship.”

 

 “I’m a citizen of Ukraine, I pay taxes, and I sincerely love Ukraine,” she wrote. “But I’m not ready to address [people] with slogans and turn my involvement in the contest into a promo-action for our politicians. I’m a musician, not a tool for the political arena.”

The star, whose song has been watched 6.8 million times on YouTube, added: "I sincerely thank and appreciate everyone who believed in me and voted."

 

 UA:PBC said in a statement on February 25 that the talks with Maruv failed to produce a "common vision" regarding her "mission" in the contest. It explained that the Eurovision entrant must be a "cultural ambassador" representing the views of the Ukrainian public.

 

 In a Facebook posting on February 25, the broadcaster's chief, Zurab Alasania, said the company will sign a contract with another performer to represent the country.

 

 Interjecting its view on February 25, the Ukrainian Cultural Ministry said that only "patriots who are aware of their responsibility" should be allowed to perform for Ukraine at the annual pop contest while "thousands of heroes are dying for Ukraine's territorial integrity."

 

 Writing on Twitter on February 25, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kyrylenko said Ukraine's contest to find a Eurovision entrant had become "part of Russia's hybrid war against Ukraine."

 

 "An artist who tours in the aggressor state, plans to do so in the future, and sees nothing unacceptable in this cannot be a representative of Ukraine," Kyrylenko said.

 

 Maruv had been grilled during Ukraine's Eurovision entry competition about her Russian shows as well as the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine and Russia's seizure of the Crimean Peninsula.

 

 Asked if Russia was an aggressor, Maruv said that if the country has a bad president, that doesn't mean all the people that live there are evil as well. She has also said Crimea is Ukrainian territory.

 

 The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, said in a statement it was the Ukrainian broadcaster's right to pick its competitor in the song contest.

 

 “Each participating broadcaster is responsible for the selection of their participant for the Eurovision Song Contest in accordance to the rules set out by the European Broadcasting Union. The broadcaster is currently in talks to announce the representative for this year’s contest and once they are confirmed, will be announced on the official Eurovision channels,” the statement said. 

 

 Judging by the reaction on social media, there is plenty of support for Maruv and a lot of anger and puzzlement over the national broadcaster’s decision.

 

 An online petition is circulating to get Maruv back into the contest.

Many felt Maruv had been cheated and made their feelings known on social media.



 

 When Ukraine hosted the competition in 2017, it refused to allow Russia's performer to enter the country because of her performances in Russia-annexed Crimea.

 

 In 2016, Jamala, a 32-year-old singer from Ukraine, won the Eurovision Song Contest singing about the mass deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union during World War II.

 

 Organizers ruled that her song did not violate Eurovision rules banning performances containing "lyrics, speeches, or gestures of a political or similar nature."

 

 But in 2009, the EBU ruled out the Georgian entry We Don't Wanna Put In -- ruling it was a clear dig at Russian President Vladimir Putin.</s>Ukraine has withdrawn from the Eurovision Song Contest following days of turbulence, as they scrambled to find a performer.

Maruv had previously won the chance to represent the country at the semi-finals in Tel Aviv in May, however after she declined to sign a contract with the Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC she was dropped.

Following her withdrawal, the broadcaster went down the list and approached the runners up in the selection but when they, too, turned down the chance to represent the CEO of UA:PBC announced the country would no longer participate at all.

In a statement released on his Facebook page, and by the broadcaster, Zurub Alasania wrote:

‘Ukraine will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest-2019. The National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine has withdrawn from the participation in the International Eurovision Song Contest 2019.

‘The winner of the national selection for this year’s Eurovision was the singer MARUV, to whom the Public Broadcaster, as it does annually, offered to conclude a contract to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision song contest. However, after negotiations, MARUV refused to sign the contract.

‘The alternative way to determine the representative from Ukraine to the Eurovision 2019 according to the rules, could have been direct appointment by the broadcaster. That is, the Public Broadcasting Company could nominate any performer not from the list of participants in the National Selection.

‘However, the Public Broadcaster opted not to use this option, because it respects the choice of the audience in the National Selection. Therefore, in the situation of non-signing of the contract on the participation in the Eurovision with the winner Public Broadcaster has approached the finalists who have finished second and third in the National Selection final.

‘Freedom Jazz and KAZKA also refused to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.

‘The Song Contest is an opportunity for every country to declare itself in the international arena, and for each performer to act as the ambassador of their country and to win the supporters accross the globe.’

It’s been suggested the network will still broadcast the competition, however.

Maruv was chosen by a public vote on Saturday to represent Ukraine at Eurovision with her track Siren Song.

However, just days later, the Ukrainian public broadcaster said that her win did not automatically guarantee Maruv was going to perform in Tel Aviv, and claimed she was ‘politicising’ the contest.

They said in a statement: ‘UA:PBC provides MARUV as the winner of the national selection with an agreement for consideration, specifying the terms of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. The official announcement of the representative of Ukraine at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest will take place after signing the participation agreement.

‘[…] the performer representing Ukraine at the international stage, upon signing an agreement with UA:PBC, also has commitments of becoming a cultural ambassador of Ukraine and delivering not only their music but also expressing the opinion of the Ukrainian society in the world. After the negotiations, UA:PBC and the singer MARUV have not found common ground in the mission of the representative of Ukraine at the international song contest.

‘In addition, according to the Rules of the Eurovision Song Contest (p.2.6), the Participating Broadcaster must ensure the non-political character of the contest. The situation around the national selection this year has signs of politicisation. The social resonance, attempts of pressure by political forces, intervention of cultural figures and informational structures of the aggressor state with this discussion have actually caused politicization of the results of the national selection.’

They concluded: ‘The Public Service Broadcaster sees danger of escalation of the split of the Ukrainian society in this situation, which contradicts the objectives of the Public Service Broadcaster (according to the Law of Ukraine on Public Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, facilitating the consolidation of the Ukrainian society is one of the main objectives of UA:PBC).’

It has since been claimed that Maruv – real name Anna Korsun – refused to sign a contract which temporarily banned her from performing in Russia amid tensions between the two countries.

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MORE: Maruv set to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv</s>The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is supposed to be a purely musical competition that transcends politics – a claim that has been spectacularly disproved in Ukraine this year. On Monday, the result of the Ukrainian national final was canceled, and Ukraine's participation in the ESC finale in Tel Aviv in May is now uncertain. It's possible the eastern European country may have to cancel its appearance at the song contest for the second time since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

The bombshell came late on Monday afternoon. The state broadcaster UA Suspilne Movlennya announced that it had been unable to reach an agreement with Maruv, the winner of the national final. The statement said there was "evidence of politicization” of the competition. It was initially unclear what would happen next.

27-year-old Maruv won the national final on 23 February. Her raunchy performance of "Siren Song” garnered the most votes, both from the jury and from the viewers of the channel broadcasting the event, state broadcaster UA Pershiy.

In real life, Maruv's name is Anna Korsun, and she comes from a Russian-speaking province of south-eastern Ukraine. She's scheduled to appear in her first solo concert in St Petersburg in April, and it was her upcoming performances in Russia that proved her undoing. Critics have declared that an artist who represents Ukraine at the ESC cannot perform for the "aggressor,” which is how the Ukrainian parliament has classified Russia. On social media, in particular, there is a groundswell of outrage. Furthermore, the rights to "Siren Song” belong to the Russian label Warner Music Russia, which has also sparked controversy.

The critics have gained a prominent supporter in the Ukrainian vice prime minister, Vyacheslav Kyrylenko. The story's not over yet, Kyrylenko tweeted. There was also criticism from the culture ministry, but it declined to exert any influence over the issue. At the weekend, the broadcaster UA Pershiy presented Maruv with a kind of ultimatum: To be allowed to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest, the singer had 48 hours in which to agree to a contract to which new clauses had been added.

Maruv published the details of the contract on her Facebook profile. Most importantly, she would have to make a commitment to cancel her tour in Russia, and to ensure that the song rights were transferred. She would also be banned from improvising on stage except by prior arrangement, and she would not be allowed to talk to journalists without the broadcaster's agreement. If she violated any of these clauses, she would be liable to pay a hefty fine. She herself would also have to bear all the costs of her performance at the Eurovision Song Contest. "I see this as a clear attempt to persuade me to step down from representing my country at the ESC 2019,” Maruv wrote. She announced that she was, however, prepared to cancel her performances in Russia.

Read more: Israeli pop queen says Eurovision about music, not politics

Insiders, like the singer Oleksandr Ponomariov, who represented Ukraine at its first Eurovision appearance in 2003, have criticized the local promoters. In an interview with DW, Ponomariov said they should have taken steps beforehand to make sure they didn't end up in a situation like the one with Maruv. "Otherwise it looks a bit chaotic, especially from Europe's point of view,” the singer said.

The well-known Kyiv music producer Volodymyr Bebeshko has similar criticisms. "They should have asked the candidates in good time about their nationality, concerts in Russia, and which country Crimea belongs to,” Bebeshko told DW. He commented that the Maruv incident had resulted in "political provocation” and had split the society. Maruv had "won fair and square” and should go to Tel Aviv, he said. However, he also thinks that if the artist does cancel her participation, Ukraine should exit the competition altogether this year. It now seems probable that this is in fact what will happen.

Read more: Eurovision winner Jamala: We can't ignore politics

Yet the Maruv controversy was not an isolated case. During the finals, it turned out that another singer had a Russian passport and had performed in Russia, which she described as taking to the stage "at home.” There was an even greater controversy about the duo "Anna Maria.” These twin sisters were born in Crimea, and their parents still live on the annexed peninsula, where they both hold high office under the new rulers. People were particularly outraged by an interview in which the two singers avoided answering when asked who Crimea belonged to — a crucial question in contemporary Ukraine.

It's not the first time the Eurovision Song Contest has been overshadowed by the fallout from the annexation of Crimea. In 2017, Ukraine refused to allow the Russian singer Yuliya Samoylova to travel to Kyiv for the finals because she had previously performed in the annexed territory without Ukrainian permission. Russia responded by canceling its participation altogether.

Zurab Alasania, the boss of the Ukrainian public broadcaster, has rejected criticism of the organizers of the national final. The fact was that almost all this year's finalists had strong links with Russia, Alasania wrote on Facebook. He described this as "dangerous,” a sign that the Ukrainian cultural scene — especially the music business — was more closely connected with Russia than many in Ukraine realized or were comfortable with. This, he said, despite the ongoing "war Russia is waging against Ukraine.”</s>Ukraine has pulled out of this year's Eurovision song contest following a politically-tinged dispute between the singer who won the national competition and the country's national public broadcaster.

Anna Korsun, who performs under the stage name Maruv, won the national finals on Sunday and immediately came under fire from politicians because she often performs in Russia.

Her tours in Russia became a toxic issue at home because of Ukraine's denunciation of Russia for the 2014 annexation of Crimea and its support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

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The National Public Broadcasting Company demanded she sign a contract that would temporarily bar her from performing in Russia along with other stipulations. Maruv said the conditions amounted to "censorship" and she refused to sign.

Other groups that placed highly in the competition refused to replace Maruv.

The broadcaster said Wednesday it wouldn't choose a replacement "out of respect for the viewers' choice" and wouldn't take part in the May competition in Israel.

Although Eurovision aims at being non-political and a friendly conglomeration of pop music performances, politics often roil in the background.

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Ukraine angered many Russians in 2016 when its Eurovision entry won the competition with a song about the 1944 deportations of Crimean Tatars by Soviet leader Josef Stalin. The next year, when Ukraine hosted the competition, it refused to allow Russia's entry into the country because she had traveled to Crimea without the permission of the Ukrainian government.</s>Ukraine will not take part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, after the singer selected to represent the country dropped out following a row over Russia.

Singer Maruv won a public vote but said she would not participate because the Ukrainian national broadcaster had imposed conditions including a ban on concerts in Russia.

Other performers who had competed to represent Kiev in the annual competition, which will be hosted in Tel Aviv this year, also refused to accept the conditions.

“The National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA PBC) is declining to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019,” the broadcaster said in a statement on Wednesday.

It said the national selection process had revealed a “systemic problem” in that artists in the Ukrainian music industry have business links to an “aggressor state”.

Russia and Ukraine are culturally close but political ties between the countries have been in dire straits since Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014. A conflict between Ukrainian troops and breakaway Moscow-backed rebels in the east of Ukraine has claimed about 13,000 lives since it broke out following the annexation.

National broadcaster UA PBC earlier accused Maruv, whose real name is Anna Korsun, of failing to understand her role as an ambassador who should represent Ukrainian public opinion.

“I’m a musician, not a tool in the political arena,” Korsun wrote on Instagram.

UA PBC made public some of the contract terms it requires the country’s performer to sign, including a ban on “statements that may call into question the issue of territorial integrity and security of Ukraine”. It also stipulated that the artist must not tour in Russia for three months after the contest.

“This is a crisis to which there is no definite or correct answer because society is divided,” Oleksandra Koltsova, a member of the board that oversees the Eurovision entry, told Hromadske national television.

Neither Freedom Jazz, the vocal trio who finished second in the heat, nor Kazka and Brunettes Shoot Blondes – the bands that came third and fourth – will go to Tel Aviv.

“We do not need a victory at any cost, our mission is to unite people with our music, not to sow discord,” Kazka wrote on its Facebook page after talks with the broadcaster.

The latest debacle comes after Kiev, when it hosted the competition in 2017, refused to let Russia’s entry cross its border because she had performed in Moscow-annexed Crimea. The previous year Ukraine infuriated Russia with its own entry – a ballad about the Soviet deportation of Crimea’s indigenous Tatar population under Joseph Stalin.

The song competition, which dates back to the 1950s, is typically hosted each May by the previous year’s winner.</s>Ukraine will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in May, the national broadcaster said on Wednesday, after the winner of the local selection contest became embroiled in a row over performing in Russia.

Anna Korsun, who performs under the stage name Maruv, won the national finals on Sunday and immediately came under fire from politicians because she often performs in Russia.

Her tours in Russia became a toxic issue at home because of Ukraine's denunciation of Russia for the 2014 annexation of Crimea and its support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

The National Public Broadcasting Company demanded she sign a contract that would temporarily bar her from performing in Russia along with other stipulations. Maruv said on Facebook that she was ready to cancel shows in Russia but couldn't accept other stipulations of the contract that she said would amount to "censorship" and force her to engage in political propaganda.

Other groups that placed highly in the competition refused to replace Maruv.

The broadcaster said Wednesday it wouldn't choose a replacement "out of respect for the viewers' choice" and wouldn't take part in the May competition in Israel.

Although Eurovision aims at being non-political and a friendly conglomeration of pop music performances, politics often roil in the background.

Ukraine angered many Russians in 2016 when its Eurovision entry won the competition with a song about the 1944 deportations of Crimean Tatars by Soviet leader Josef Stalin. The next year, when Ukraine hosted the competition, it refused to allow Russia's entry into the country because she had traveled to Crimea without the permission of the Ukrainian government.
Ukraine withdraws from this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, Israel, after Ukrainian entrant Maruv said she refused to be used as a "political tool" after being asked to sign a contract saying she wouldn't hold any concerts in Russia in the lead up to the event.