Eurovision organizers have concluded that Ukraine is unable to host the festival, a decision that has angered the Ukrainian government.
Ukraine won this year with the song "Stefania" by Kalush Orchestra. According to tradition, the winning state is offered the opportunity to host next year festival. But the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which hosts Eurovision, said it had concluded "with deep regret" that it would not be possible to provide the security and operational guarantees required to hold the competition in Ukraine.
The EBU asked the BBC to host next year's festival, as the UK ranked second with Sam Ryder's "Space Man".
The Guardian reports that the Ukrainian government is unhappy with the decision because it implies the loss of a great opportunity to focus the world's attention on Ukraine.
This week the Minister of Culture of Ukraine, Oleksandr Tkachenko, announced that he had sent to the organizers of Eurovision a number of possible places in Ukraine. He said he had worked with the country's security services and the prime minister to come up with a plan for the organization and was "confident" that Eurovision would take place in Ukraine.
