Sanremo is Italy's answer to Eurovision.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky will make an appearance via video link during the final night of Sanremo, Italy's biggest music contest, which takes place from 7-11 February.

The news was announced by veteran journalist and television presenter Bruno Vespa on the Domenica In TV programme on Sunday evening, live from Kyiv where he had travelled to interview Zelensky.

• Sanremo Music Festival: Italy's most famous song contest

The Ukrainian president's appearance at Sanremo, on 11 February, was confirmed by the festival's host Amadeus who in recent days has been drip-feeding names of other special guests including American act Black Eyed Peas.

The 2023 edition of the song contest will be held as usual at the Teatro Ariston in Sanremo, a seaside town on the northwest Ligurian coast, with 28 artists battling it out over five nights.

Photo credit: Dmytro Larin / Shutterstock.com.