KYIV, Ukraine (AP) 鈥� Actor Sean Penn, who is making a documentary about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has loaned one of his two Oscars to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and told him: 鈥淲hen you win, bring it back to Malibu.鈥�
Zelenskyy鈥檚 office on Wednesday released the video of the encounter during Penn鈥檚 most recent visit to Ukraine, his third since the Feb. 24 start of the war. The president tweeted that the Oscar was 鈥渁 symbol of faith in the victory of our country.鈥�
Penn, who has been involved in numerous international humanitarian and anti-war efforts over the years, told Zelenskyy that every time he leaves Ukraine 鈥淚 feel like a traitor.鈥�
鈥淏ut if I know this is here with you then I will feel better and stronger for the fights,鈥� Penn said as he pulled the statuette from a black bag and placed it on a table in front of Zelenskyy. 鈥淲hen you win, bring it back to Malibu. Because I feel much better knowing there is a piece of me here.鈥�
Zelenskyy at first hesitated about accepting the statue, then quipped: 鈥淲e have to win, quick.鈥�
It wasn鈥檛 clear when the encounter occurred or which Oscar Penn left behind: Penn has won two best actor Academy Awards, in 2003 for 鈥淢ystic River鈥� and in 2008 for 鈥淢ilk.鈥�
His publicist didn鈥檛 immediately respond to an email seeking details Wednesday.
Penn was one of the first people who visited Ukraine after Russian troops moved into the country and he has been working on a documentary about the invasion.
During their meeting, Zelenskyy presented Penn with an award, the Ukrainian Order of Merit, which is given to citizens for outstanding achievements in economics, science, culture, or military or political activity. Established by former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma in 1996, the award鈥檚 past recipients include Ukrainian academics and writers, as well as Soviet-era military commanders.
The video released by the president鈥檚 office then showed Penn and Zelenskyy walking around Kyiv and arriving at Constitution Square, across from the Ukrainian parliament building and presidential palace, where there is a 鈥淲alk of the Brave鈥� 鈥� a walkway lined with plaques honoring world leaders who have shown solidarity with Ukraine. The walkway, which was inaugurated in August, features a square plaque laid in the ground engraved with Penn鈥檚 name and the date Feb. 24, 2022, the start of the invasion.
Pointing to the plaque, Penn told Zelenskyy that there were three places in the world that were the source of his pride: "The place where my daughter was born, the place where my son was born and this. Thank you.鈥�
The Associated Press
