Russia will be allowed to compete in this year's Eurovision Song Contest despite invasion of Ukraine, organizers say

• Russia will still be allowed to compete in Eurovision this May, organizers told CNN.
• But organizers also said they are "concerned" about events in Ukraine and would monitor the situation.

Russia will still be allowed to compete at the Eurovision Song Contest this year despite the country's invasion of neighboring Ukraine, organizers said on Thursday.

Calling the competition a "non-political cultural event," organizers told CNN in a statement: "The EBU (European Broadcasting Union) is however concerned about current events in Ukraine and will continue to closely monitor the situation."

The EBU did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

In an open letter to the EBU, Ukraine's state broadcaster UA:PBC has called for Russia to be excluded from the contest. It also asked the EBU to remove Russian media from the association, calling them "a mouthpiece for the Kremlin and a key tool of political propaganda financed from the Russian state budget."

Russia has not yet selected a representative for Eurovision, which is set to take place in Turin, Italy, in May. According to Eurovision rules, countries have until mid-March to submit an entry.

Eurovision is an annual televised singing contest that sees contestants representing primarily European countries. Some of the event's most successful winners include Swedish pop band Abba, which won in 1974, and Celine Dion, who took the prize for Switzerland in 1988.