Eurovision to be hosted in 'victorious, free Ukraine' one day, says British premier

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Wednesday that "one day the Eurovision contest will be hosted in a victorious, free Ukraine."

Sunak hosted an event at 10 Downing Street to mark the UK's hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest and he highlighted his country’s support for Ukraine.

"Liverpool is doing us all proud in hosting Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine. Tonight we celebrated just how powerful this contest is in uniting us through music," he wrote on Twitter.

"As my friend (Ukraine President) Volodymyr Zelenskyy says, one day this contest will be hosted in a victorious, free Ukraine," he added.

Ukraine won the competition in 2022 and was scheduled to host it this year.

But after the war with Russia broke out, the UK agreed to host the event and said it will honor Ukrainian culture and people as a mark of solidarity.

Nearly 3,000 tickets will be available for displaced Ukrainians and the UK announced £10 million ($12 million) in funding to “help ensure the event truly showcases Ukrainian culture."