Ukrainian Star in Trouble: Seen Holding Hands with Controversial Russian in Latvia

Ukrainian singer Oksana Poliakova has drawn significant criticism after a video surfaced showing her holding hands with Russian singer Sergey Grigoriev-Apolonov at the "Laima Rendezvous Jūrmala 2026" festival in Latvia. The video, initially posted on the festival's official Instagram account, was quickly removed following a wave of negative comments from the public.

The controversy stems from Grigoriev-Apolonov's perceived reluctance to unequivocally condemn Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine. While he has spoken about peace and freedom of opinion, he has not directly identified Russia as the aggressor or explicitly denounced the full-scale invasion. This ambiguous position is viewed critically within Ukraine, with some recalling a statement attributed to him in German television where he allegedly said, "not everything is so straightforward" when asked about the war.

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Poliakova has finally hit rock bottom. Not long ago, she was talking about how patriotic she is.

Social media users expressed deep disappointment with Poliakova, with one commenter stating, "Poliakova has finally hit rock bottom. Not long ago, she was talking about how patriotic she is." Another user lamented, "She is friends with Sergey, who in an interview with German television, when asked about the war, stated that 'not everything is so straightforward.' Guys are dying, and she is friends with Russians." The contrast between her current actions and her previous strong patriotic statements, including her emotional address to a Ukrainian parliamentary committee about her desire to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest, has fueled the public's anger.

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She is friends with Sergey, who in an interview with German television, when asked about the war, stated that 'not everything is so straightforward.' Guys are dying, and she is friends with Russians.