Skibinska on the scandal with Polyakova: which song was actually submitted for the national selection.

According to ТСН: The head of the Ukrainian delegation at Eurovision Oksana Skibinska intervened in the conflict between Olya Polyakova's team and this year's national selection producer Jamala. It turned out that Olya Polyakova wanted to represent Ukraine on an international level in 2026, but her application was rejected due to violations of national selection rules, which prohibit the participation of artists who performed in the Russian Federation after 2014. Producer Mikhail Yasyinsky is trying to rectify this situation, even after the longlist was announced, which did not include his protégé.

Proposals to change the rules

Mikhail has been addressing the Public Broadcaster for a long time with a request to organize negotiations. He proposes to review the rules to allow stars who have performed in Russia but demonstrated a pro-Ukrainian stance during the war to participate in the contest.

Statements and reactions

Jamala's recent statement, in which she noted that Polyakova submitted the song “Warrior”, caused outrage among the producer. Contestants are prohibited from publicizing their songs before the national selection. In response, Yasyinsky accused Jamala of lying, claiming that his protégé submitted the song “Queen of the Night”.

Comment from Oksana Skibinska

Oksana Skibinska reacted to this public discussion. In her comment, she confirmed that Olya Polyakova's application indeed contained a different song, not “Warrior”, but according to Oksana, the artist did not make it to the longlist due to other violations of the national selection rules.

“Olga Polyakova submitted a different song for the national selection. The music producer has the opportunity to listen to all applications and processes only those that passed the technical check and comply with the National Selection Rules in formal and technical aspects. Olya Polyakova’s application does not comply with the National Selection Rules,” explained the head of the delegation.

In addition, singers Melovin and Jamala recently became participants in a public conflict. After the announcement of the longlist, Jamala expressed hurt towards Melovin, which provoked a sharp response from him.

This situation around the national selection for Eurovision highlights the difficulties faced by Ukrainian artists due to the restrictions imposed on their participation due to political circumstances. Discussions about changes in the rules, as well as musicians' concerns about their own careers, only amplify attention to important issues of supporting culture and identity in wartime. Against the backdrop of all these events, every step of the delegation causes wide resonance in society.