Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took time out recently to accept dictator-hugging fellow actor Sean Penn’s Oscar while war continues to rage in his country, according to a report by Daily Mail.
The Hollywood activist, whose close buddies included the late tyrants Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, handed over one of his Oscar awards to Zelensky, saying “This is for you. I feel terrible. It’s just a symbolic, silly thing, but if I know this is here with you, then I’ll feel better and stronger for the fight.”
“When you win, bring it back to Malibu,” Penn added. “I’ll feel much better knowing there’s a piece of me here.”
Zelensky was later seen placing the Oscar award on a mantelpiece in his presidential office. In exchange, the Ukrainian president gave Penn an Order of Merit, stating, “It’s not from me, its from Ukraine.”
Penn and Zelensky were then seen walking together through the streets of Kyiv, stopping to stare at a plaque in the ground which read, “Sean Penn 24.02.2022.” The reference is to the date Penn was in Ukraine after the Russia-Ukraine war kicked off. At the time, the actor was in Ukraine recording a documentary about the Russian invasion.