US ACTOR SEAN Penn has given his Oscar award to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in what he described as a “symbolic, silly thing”.
Penn visited the capital of Kyiv yesterday to meet with Zelensky, his third such visit since Russia’s invasion.
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.”
During the visit, Zelenskyy and Penn also visited the “Walk of the Brave” on the Constitution Square in Kyiv.
The Walk of the Brave has plaques outlining the many world leaders who helped Ukraine during the war, and there is also a plaque for Sean Penn.
The Telegram video shows Penn standing by his plaque with Zelensky, and Penn says: “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.”
In September, Penn was among 25 US citizens that Russia blacklisted, in response to sanctions from the United States.
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.
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