American actor Ben Stiller met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday June 20 in kyiv, to whom he expressed his admiration for his action since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
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"It's a great honor for me (...) You are my hero"
, declared Ben Stiller, goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, during his meeting with the Ukrainian leader, himself a former actor, on the occasion of World Refugee Day, according to images released by the Ukrainian presidency.
"What you have done, the way you have mobilized the country, the world, is truly an inspiration
," added the 56-year-old American, referring to the countless speeches by Volodymyr Zelensky intended for audiences around the world to get help for his country.
“Understanding what is really going on here”
Earlier in the day, Ben Stiller had visited Irpin, a suburb of kyiv, where fierce fighting took place at the start of the invasion.
It is also the closest point to the capital ever reached by the Russian army.
"I feel like it's hard to understand what's really going on here without coming here
," he told the president.
"I was at Irpin this morning (...) and the real level of destruction, you see it on TV, you see it on social media, but it's another thing to really see it, to feel it and then talk to people
.
Speaking in English, Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Ben Stiller for his visit and told him it was
“very important”
for him to remind the world of what is happening in Ukraine.
“It is essential for us that people do not forget.
It is not interesting to talk about the war every day (...) but for us it is very important”
, explained the Ukrainian leader.
The pair also discussed their shared interest in comedy while laughing.
“You have given up a great acting career
,” launched Ben Stiller, famous for humorous films like
Night at the Museum, Zoolander
or
My Stepfather and Me
.
“Not as much as yours
,” retorted Volodymyr Zelensky, who before being elected in 2019 starred in
Servant of the People
, a satirical series about a high school teacher who accidentally became president of Ukraine, turned great success on Arte.