Sean Penn in Ukraine: “If we leave her alone, our lost soul”

“If we let Ukraine fight alone, our soul as America is lost.” Thus Sean Penn, who is in the country to shoot a documentary on the invasion of Russia that he strongly condemns, in an interview with the Washington Post. “It is a mistake that is already costing lives and breaking hearts” said the American actor known for his political activism, stressing that “if he does not stop, Putin will make the most horrible mistake for all of humanity”. Penn then had words of praise for the courage and heroism of the Ukrainians: “President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people are elevated to historical symbols of courage and principle”, said the actor who had already visited Ukraine in November to prepare the film. And on Thursday, the day the Russian invasion began, he attended a Ukrainian government press conference in Kiev. The Ukrainian embassy in the United States confirmed that the actor was in the country this week and “is showing a courage that many others lack, especially some Western politicians”. “Zelensky, who was a successful actor in Ukraine before he was elected president in 2019, posted photos on Instagram talking to Penn. According to Variety, the actor is shooting a documentary for Vice Studios. It’s not the first time he’s been shooting. Penn – who has distinguished himself in the past for humanitarian missions after the Katrina hurricane in Louisiana, in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and in Pakistan after the 2012 floods – is projected into a theater of war. Great critic of George Bush and of the war in Iraq, Penn went to Baghdad shortly before the American invasion.