Sean Penn hand delivers one of his Oscars to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine
Sean Penn returned to Ukraine for a third time — this time with one of his Oscars.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared photos and videos on Instagram Tuesday documenting the moment Penn, 62, gave him one of his Academy Awards as a "symbolic" token amid the country's war against Russia.
"It’s just a symbolic silly thing, but if I know this is here then I’ll feel better and strong enough for the fights," the actor and activist told Zelenskyy. Penn also advised Ukraine's president to return the Oscar statuette to Malibu "when you win."
Penn won two Oscars for best actor in a leading role — one in 2003 for "Mystic River" and another in 2008 for "Milk."
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The actor was gifted Ukraine's Order of Merit in the third degree during his recent visit. "Thank you for such sincere support and significant contribution to the popularization of Ukraine in the world!" Zelenskyy wrote on Instagram.
He was also honored with a name plaque on the Walk of the Brave honoring the "brave people who have stood with Ukraine from the very beginning." The Walk of the Brave was set up in Constitution Square in Kyiv in August to mark the nation's 31st anniversary of independence. There, political leaders, military officials and other alliances to Ukraine are remembered with name plaques.
"Next to the names of many world leaders who helped Ukraine during the war, there is a name plaque of Sean Penn," Zelenskyy said on Instagram.
Penn has visited Ukraine on two earlier occasions as he filmed an upcoming documentary, which is being produced by Vice Studios.
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The actor's gift of one of his Oscars comes months after he told CNN's Jim Acosta that he would "smelt" a statue if the Academy didn't invite Zelenskyy to the 2022 ceremony in March. The Academy has a rule prohibiting winners from selling or disposing of the statuette.
"There is nothing greater that the Academy Awards could do than to give him that opportunity to talk to all of us," Penn told Acosta. "It is my understanding that a decision has been made not to do it. That is not me commenting on whether or not President Zelenskyy had wanted to." The Ukrainian president ultimately did not appear at the Oscars, but he did speak out at the Grammys in April.
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Penn has remained a steadfast ally to Ukraine, previously calling the ongoing Russian invasion "a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken."
"If he doesn't relent, I believe Mr. Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind," Penn said in a statement to USA TODAY in February. President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people "have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle. Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost."
Contributing: Brian Truitt, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sean Penn gifts one of his Oscars to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy