Sean Penn loans Oscar statuette to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy

In a grand, symbolic gesture, American actor Sean Penn presented his Oscar statuette to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a recent meeting in Kyiv.

In a video of the meeting posted to Zelenskyy’s Instagram account on Tuesday, Penn revealed the statuette to the president and insisted he take the coveted prize.

“I feel terrible,” said Penn, 62. “It’s just a symbolic silly thing, but if I know this is here with you then I’ll feel better and stronger for the fight.”

“When you win, bring it back to Malibu, because I’ll feel much better knowing there’s a piece of me here,” he added.

This was Penn’s third trip to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February. He has been a vocal advocate for Ukraine and a staunch supporter of Zelenskyy since the start of the war.

In his Instagram caption, Zelenskyy called the Oscars statuette “a symbol of faith in the victory of our country.”

Penn has two Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role from Mystic River in 2003 and Milk in 2008.