Sean Penn, a famous American actor, presented the Oscar to Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, in what he termed a “symbolic, silly thing.”
Penn made his third trip to Kyiv since Russia’s invasion yesterday to meet with Zelensky.
In a video posted on Zelensky’s Telegram channel, Penn tells Zelensky: “If I know this is here with you, then I will feel better and stronger for the fight.”
He added: “When you win, bring it back to Malibu. Because I will feel much better knowing there is a piece of me here.”
A message on the Ukrainian president’s website said: “The American artist brought his Oscar statuette and handed it to the President as a symbol of faith in the victory of our country. The award will remain in Ukraine until the end of the war.”
Zelenskyy and Penn spent time at Constitution Square in Kyiv’s “Walk of the Brave” during the visit.
Sean Penn’s plaque is among those on the Walk of the Brave that list the numerous world leaders who supported Ukraine during the war.
“There are three places in the world that all the pride of my life will be; the place where my daughter was born, the place where my son was born, and this,” Penn says in the Telegram video as he and Zelensky stand by his plaque.
In response to American sanctions, Russia blacklisted 25 Americans in September, including Penn.
Fellow actor Ben Stiller, who has also visited Ukraine during the way, was included in this blacklist.
They are banned from entering Russia “on a permanent basis”, the Russian foreign ministry said at the time.