Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has hailed his country’s victory in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
“An unbelievable performance!” he tweeted, thanking singer Jamala on behalf of the whole country.
However her song 1944
Several Russian politicians and commentators blamed the result on hostility towards their country.
Jamala is the first Crimean Tatar to perform at the contest, which was held this year in the Swedish capital Stockholm.
The song 1944 caused controversy because of alleged political overtones. It references the year when Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin deported almost all of the Tatar ethnic group, reports the BBC
At a news conference, Jamala said the experiences of her great-grandmother had inspired song.
“This pain speaks to all the people who have experienced their own tragedies in the past, such as (the) Holocaust,” she added.
