It’s a little under two months before the first artists will head to Basel for Eurovision 2025. However, one trip possibly might be a bit more suspenseful – and that’s the one for Ukraine’s Ziferblat.
While many from the class of 2025 have already travelled to Switzerland to record their postcard, Ukraine’s Ziferblat stayed at home in Kyiv.
The band, consisting of three men who won Ukraine’s selection show Vidbir back in early February, have yet to receive permission to leave the country.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country has installed martial law. This means that all men of conscription age have to stay inside the state because of possible mobilisation.
Despite that, some artists were allowed to leave the country in the past three years for charity concerts across the globe. However, in late February, the Ukrainian government stopped handing out these permissions as they claimed some artists were using loopholes.
In essence, some musicians used the intended short-term permission to cross the state borders to instead permanently leave the country.
On 5 March, the Cabinet of Ministers confirmed that it had updated the rules which will allow artists to leave from 6 March. Among those rules are that artists have to return within sixty days after crossing the state border. Another rule is that artists ought to have a “status of urgency”.
Ziferblat yet to obtain permission to leave Ukraine
Meanwhile, on Telegram, Suspilne Kultura – the channel responsible for broadcasting Eurovision in Ukraine – said that the group currently lacks one of those criteria. It wrote:
“Will Ziferblat be able to go to Eurovision under the new rules for traveling abroad?
“This issue was discussed at a meeting of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy. Deputy Minister of Culture Hryhorenko stated that ‘we will find a solution.’
“’The group will not have a status of urgency, but we will think about how to send them,’ the official added.”
Zelenskyy wants to fight till the last Ukrainian eh
Ziferblat to the frontline for Vonderleyen and co
EpicureanDreams to the frontline for Putin and co
Only dumbasses see the world black and white. I will fight for no oligarch on either side.
You want to die for zelensky pack your bags. I heard they have almost no ukrainian men left to fight.
I don’t get it, wasn’t this known before they took part or when they won the national final?
I think it will be controversial if they don’t let them compete. The runner up was a male duo/group too right?
Ukranian PUBLIC broadcaster using TELEGRAM? wasn’t all Russian funding bussiness banned in Ukraine by its government? (including the use of Russian language in their NF songs) Strange….
Ukraine will not be missed this is the song contest not a sympathy contest
Dave, STFU.
Why would your *state funded* broadcaster register for Eurovision if you wouldn’t send the artists to Eurovision?? Makes no sense. They’ll be allowed to go.
And the money spent on the national selection , corruption
I guess as a last resort they can find suitable female singers to perform the song. The song is still theirs as they were the writers so they are still representing Ukraine albeit not physically.
or they can use the covid rule and compete with the NF performance. or recording a new one from Ukraine…. or even performing live, but from Kyiv (as they offered to Julia Samaylova when she was banned to enter Ukraine in 2017, to perform live from Moscow)
UK ENTRY LEAKED. IT IS AMAZING
https://youtu.be/S6Tm51mvt7o?si=4dr89uVJxvTchp3L
Yeah, we know. See y’all tomorrow. 🙂
Really…? Can this be true?
Ohhh stop it 😀
It was the worst kept UK secret ever.
If the state broadcaster is contractually obliged to send them to a specific place and time that cannot be changed, then surely that technically counts as a “status of urgency”? I guess it all depends on what their rules and contracts say.
Don’t panic. They will arrive in Basel with 100% certainty
I’m not worried. The ukrainian government doesn’t act as stupid as some countries on this planet. They won’t let a chance go wasted to show themselves as a part of our european unity
I’d like to take this opportunity to repeat what an evil, evil man Donald Trump is. Utter inhuman scum.
You spelt your name wrong
Easily my biggest grower of a song this year. I’m praying for them big time. I am hopeful that the government will grant them the special permission when they realize that the hold up is causing an issue.
That’s kind of stupid. They are not travelling to perform private concerts; they are representing the country at an international competition.
Presumably the Ukrainian Government is supportive of Ukraine being represented at Eurovision, can’t see what the hold up is?
What even is a status of urgency?
I can imagine that departments of the Ukrainian government have been in crisis mode over the past few weeks, with events unfolding so rapidly.
This is extremely sad and representative of the world’s current sad situation. I really hope Ziferblat will be able to travel and live this experience to the fullest! They are surely in my top 2 entries of the year alongside Katarsis.
I’m sure they will make it to Basel. Even if they don’t, I imagine the EBU will allow a pre-record from home. Ukraine will not be withdrawing.
Slava Ukraini!
Heroyam Slava!