Ben Stiller Meets with Zelensky in Ukraine After Touring Areas Devastated By Russian Occupation: The Destruction is ‘Shocking’
Filmmaker Ben Stiller met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, calling the president his “hero” amid the country’s battle against the brutal Russian invasion.
Stiller’s trip is part of his role as a goodwill ambassador to the United Nations Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). According to a press release from Zelensky’s office, the Zoolander star visited formerly occupied settlements in the Kyiv region, some of which have been destroyed amid the ongoing military conflict.
“It’s one thing to see this destruction on TV or on social networks. Another thing is to see it all with your own eyes. That’s a lot more shocking,” Stiller said.
“What you saw in Irpin is definitely dreadful. But it is even worse to just imagine what is happening in the settlements that are still under temporary occupation in the east,” Zelensky said in response
In footage from the trip, Stiller can be seen meeting Zelensky in Kyiv for the first time. The filmmaker says it’s an “honor” and gushes that the president is his “hero,” though he did jokingly wonder aloud: “You quit a great acting career for this?”
“Not so great as [yours],” Zelensky, who was an actor before getting into politics, jested
“No, but pretty great,” Stiller said. The comedic actor has turned mainly to directing these days, recently helming Severance on Apple TV+.
Zelensky spoke with Stiller and others about the needs of Ukrainians who have been displaced due to the Russian invasion of the country, as well as others in Poland, where Stiller visited on Sunday as part of his goodwill ambassador role.
“Seeking safety is a right, and it needs to be upheld for every person,” Stiller said in a video message from Ukraine posted to Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Comments
↓ Scroll down for comments ↓