Sean Penn Visits Kyiv and Zelenskyy Instead of the Oscars

Actor Sean Penn traveled to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, instead of attending the Oscars ceremony.

Zelenskyy called Penn a "true friend of Ukraine" in a post on X, thanking him for his continued support. Sean Penn was spotted in Kyiv by journalists from the French News Agency (AFP).

The 65-year-old actor, one of Hollywood's most ardent supporters of Ukraine, plans to visit the front lines. In 2023, he co-directed a documentary about Zelenskyy, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival.

In 2025, Sean Penn and Bono of U2 appealed for support for Ukraine at the Cannes Film Festival.

In February, Zelenskyy mentioned that he had "seen and loved" the film "All the King's Men," for which Sean Penn won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.