Eurovision Top 30: Number 3

Artist:	Ruslana
Song title:	Wild Dances
Year:	2004
Country:	Ukraine
Place:	1st

The past year or two has been rough for Ukraine and the ongoing situation is not pleasant. It is my persistent opinion that the people of Ukraine should have the power to decide their own destiny. Self determination is a right. Russia has been exerting control and influence in the country for too long. While it can be argued that we in Europe have been guilty of trying to do the same, the people of Ukraine should be given the freedom to decide for themselves where they belong in honest, and fair democratic process. Crimea being annexed was not an example of this and in my opinion and many others it has been stolen by Russia and amounts to an invasion onto European soil. This year's Russian entry into Eurovision looks like a charity appeal from a third world country which is ironic given the state of their country - why they should be allowed to exert any degree of control over anyone else when they are incapable of looking after themselves is deplorable.

2004 was a year of great upheaval in Ukraine that would lead to the Orange Revolution. Wild Dances epitomises the atmosphere of the country at a time when all order and structure was breaking down. Ruslana won in 2004 and Kiev became the host in 2005, despite the revolution and the instability that followed the contest did go ahead. This year the Georgian entry reminds me of Ruslana and there are similarities between the themes of the songs and their performances. Georgia too is a country where Russia has had too much influence for too long and while many including myself see the annexation and militarisation of Crimea as an affront to the security and sovereignty of Europe, so too was the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008 that led to the Russo-Georgian war and the annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia - an act I compare to the appeasement of Hitler in the second world war. Wild Dances remains a song that represents defiance of this onslaught. We live in uncertain times where relations with Russia are becoming ever more fragile for Europe as a whole but one thing is for sure, Europe will not be taken without a fight.