Sean Penn has spoken about his relationship with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and how he hopes to continue helping the war effort.
The Hollywood actor revealed that he has had communication with the president about the documentary on Ukraine he was working on prior to Russia’s invasion of the country.
Speaking to Hollywood Authentic magazine for its inaugural issue, Sean said: “I originally met him on Zoom, before the threat of more than the border war became real.
“This was early on in the pandemic in the US. We first started discussing a potential documentary about his country that wasn’t focused particularly on the war.
“And since then there’s been a lot of exchanges between us. Then I went and met him face to face the day before the invasion. And I was with him during the invasion, on day one.”
Sean has spoken about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, most recently during a number of appearances on US television, including interviews on The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell and Fox News show Hannity.
He told the new magazine, launched by entertainment photographer Greg Williams: “Look, my intention is to go back into Ukraine. But I’m not an idiot, I am not certain what I can offer.
“I don’t spend a lot of time texting the president or his staff while they’re under siege and their people are being murdered.”
In 2010 Penn founded the charity J/P Haiti Relief Organisation in response to the earthquake in Haiti.
The charity changed its name in 2019 to Core – Community Organised Relief Effort – to expand its work globally.
Core has since given assistance to people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and more recently began supporting the war effort in Ukraine.
Penn said he is involved with the work done by Core and is continuing to shoot footage for his documentary about Ukraine, while regularly considering whether his work will add “value”.
Sean Penn’s full interview is available now at hollywoodauthentic.com.
