Russian Lawmakers: Paralympic Games and Ukrainian Capital

russian lawmakers: Russian broadcaster Channel One announced on Sunday that 27-year-old Yulia Samoylova would represent Russia at the contest with the song Flame is Burning, according to Brandon Sun. Samoylova, who has used a wheelchair since childhood, was a finalist in Russia's X Factor in 2013 and sang at the opening of the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi. Several Russian lawmakers and entertainment stars have called to boycott the competition to be held in the Ukrainian capital in May as once friendly relations between the two-countries turned into open animosity following Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatist rebels. The Eurovision contest was often used as the stage for settling political scores. Samoylova's song about hope and perseverance contrasts with Ukraine's winning entry in 2016 that gave the country the right to host the competition this year. A year after a brief war between Russia and Georgia in 2008, Georgia was told by the organizers to change its entry for the contest which referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.