Martin Green, the director of Eurovision, has clarified that there are currently no plans for Russia to return to the music competition. His remarks came during a press conference ahead of the Eurovision 2026 grand final.
When asked about the possibility of Russia’s participation amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Green stated that a colleague may have misinterpreted media reports. He emphasized, “Let me be clear. There are no negotiations taking place regarding the return of the Russian broadcaster to Eurovision, and there are no plans in this regard.”
Previously, Green had mentioned to British radio station LBC that Russia could theoretically return to the contest. He explained that the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision to exclude Russia was based solely on the activities of the state broadcaster VGTRK, whose independence from the Kremlin has not been established.
In response to a question about Russia’s potential return if its broadcaster complies with membership rules, Green acknowledged, “Theoretically, yes.” However, he insisted that the decision to exclude Russia was not linked to the war, stating, “Then you enter a really slippery slope where you have to make very subjective judgments.”
It is important to note that Russia was barred from participating in Eurovision in 2022 following a request from Ukraine’s public broadcaster to the EBU. The EBU took 36 hours to conclude that Russia’s involvement in the contest was unacceptable due to its aggressive actions.
Martin Green, director of Eurovision, has stated there are no plans for Russia's return to the contest, clarifying previous comments that suggested otherwise. He emphasized that the exclusion is not related to the ongoing war in Ukraine.