In the wake of Russia’s tragic invasion of Ukraine, AJR have canceled their upcoming concert in Moscow, originally scheduled for October 22.
“We are sad to announce that we will be cancelling our upcoming show in Russia,” the group tweeted on Friday (Feb. 25). “Thank you to our Russian fans who oppose their country’s unprovoked and criminal behavior. Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine. At this point, the best thing you can do is share ACCURATE info.”
We are sad to announce that we will be cancelling our upcoming show in Russia. Thank you to our Russian fans who oppose their country’s unprovoked and criminal behavior. Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine. At this point, the best thing you can do is share ACCURATE info.
— AJR (@AJRBrothers) February 25, 2022
While AJR is the first major pop act to cancel their Russian tour dates, earlier in the day, Eurovision Song Contest revealed that the country will be banned from participating in this year’s competition.
“No Russian act will participate in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest,” the EBU announced. “The decision reflects the concern that, in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year’s contest would bring the competition into disrepute.”
The decision came after Ukraine’s national public broadcaster urged the content to prevent Russia from competing. “The Eurovision Song Contest was created after the Second World War to unite Europe,” Mykola Chernotytsky, chair of the broadcaster, noted in an open letter to EBU. “In view of this, Russia’s participation as an aggressor and violator of international law in this year’s Eurovision undermines the very idea of the competition.”
After months of military buildup along the Ukrainian border, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in the early morning hours of Feb. 24 that he was deploying a “special military operation into Ukraine. That has since turned into a full-on, unprovoked attack on the country, with Russian troops nearing the capital of Kyiv on Friday.