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Penn, an outspoken supporter of Ukraine who has traveled to the nation multiple times, co-produced a 2023 film focusing on the Ukrainian leader.

Sean Penn, who received an Academy Award for best supporting actor forOne Battle After AnotherOn Sunday, he was in Ukraine, and on Monday, he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky as a demonstration of backing for the nation affected by conflict.

A Reuters journalist observed theMystic RiverA celebrity exiting a black car in central Kyiv earlier on Monday, wearing sunglasses and holding a box of cigarettes.

Penn, a strong supporter of Ukraine who has traveled to the country multiple times, won his third acting Oscar on Sunday but was absent from the event.

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“It can be said that he is in Ukraine, but it’s a personal visit; that’s how he perceives it, believing he needs to be present in Ukraine. He simply wants to support Ukraine,” said a senior Ukrainian official.

Penn, who co-directed a 2023 film focusing on Zelensky, met with the Ukrainian leader on Monday.

“Sean, because of you, we understand what a genuine friend of Ukraine is,” Zelensky stated on social media, sharing an image of the two of them in the president’s office.

“You have supported Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale conflict. This remains the case today,” Zelensky stated.

In a conversation with Agence France-Presse in February, Zelensky outlinedOne Battle After Anotheramong his most recent movies that he remarked he “enjoyed it”

A second source mentioned that the actor was also “intending to head to the front” in eastern Ukraine.

The documentary Penn co-directed, a respectful depiction of Zelensky detailing his journey from comedian to wartime leader following Russia’s 2022 invasion, was showcased at the Berlin Film Festival in 2023.

In 2025, Penn and musician Bono, part of the rock group U2, delivered a heartfelt appeal at the Cannes Film Festival urging the West to support Ukraine, taking photos on the red carpet alongside Ukrainian troops.

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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.

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