Sean Penn made news when he skipped the 2026 Oscars, where he won Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another, to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instead. Zelenskyy posted a picture of their meeting and praised Penn for always being there for him during Russia’s invasion.
Penn won his third Oscar for playing a power broker in Paul Thomas Anderson’s political thriller One Battle After Another. Kieran Culkin joked about where Penn was during the ceremony, saying he was there in spirit. The New York Times confirmed that Penn was in Ukraine, putting solidarity ahead of Hollywood glamour.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Penn has been a strong supporter of the country. He even went to Kyiv in the early days. He gave Zelenskyy his Mystic River Oscar as a symbol in 2022, saying he would melt it down for bullets if necessary and asking for it back after the victory. Zelenskyy called him a “true friend” on this most recent trip, which shows how committed he is.
