MANILA, Philippines – The Miss Supranational organization announced on Tuesday, March 1, that they are banning Russia from sending a representative to their beauty pageant.
The statement, which was signed by President and CEO Gerhard Parzutka Von Lipinski, was released through the pageant’s social media pages. It said that the organization has chosen “to stand up for freedom and unity.”
“Ukraine has been a very special part of the Supra Family since the beginning of our competition in 2009 when Oksana Moria won the very first title in Poland,” the statement began. It was posted alongside photos of Moria, the first Miss Supranational titleholder, who came from Ukraine.
It continued, “Today, we are joining the [European Union], countries around the world, sports federations, cultural events, and the people around the world who choose to stand up for freedom and unity. We will not accept a contestant from Russia as we cannot condone the actions of the Kremlin.”
In a separate post, the organization continued their call for help for the people of Ukraine. “Thousands of people have already arrived in Poland from Ukraine. Thousands more are still waiting. They need our help and support,” they said.
The Miss Supranational pageant is the latest of the entertainment organizations to ban Russia from their events, following the Eurovision Song Contest and the Cannes Film Festival.
This comes after Russia has begun its invasion of Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin authorizing a military operation in the eastern part of the country on February 24. – Rappler.com
