Ukrainian culture minister denies possibility of holding Eurovision 2023 outside Ukraine

KYIV. May 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko has denied the possibility of holding next year's Eurovision song contest outside Ukraine.

"The contest itself will take place in Ukraine. Someone has already started to say that 'let's look for backup venues'. No, it is 100% [that the Eurovision 2023 will be held in Ukraine]," Tkachenko said during the national telethon on Monday.

The exact place in Ukraine to host the Eurovision 2023 will be discussed in the near future, he said.

The Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra and its song Stefania won the Eurovision 2022 International Song Contest in Turin, Italy, in the early hours of May 15. It means that Ukraine will host next year's Eurovision.