Ukraine thanks Ben Stiller, Sean Penn, and Angelina Jolie for visiting the country during Russia's invasion
- Several Hollywood actors have visited Ukraine amid the war and been vocal about supporting refugees.
- Ukraine thanked Ben Stiller, Sean Penn, and Angelina Jolie for their work on Tuesday.
Ukraine thanked multiple Hollywood actors including Ben Stiller and Sean Penn for visiting the country during Russia's invasion.
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence said in a Monday tweet that Ukraine "is grateful to Hollywood stars who, despite the danger, have visited us," naming Stiller, Penn, Liev Schreiber, and Angelina Jolie.
"You are more than just an inspiration to all of us," it said. "Millions around the world have heard the truth from you about the struggle of the [Ukrainian] people."
Stiller, who is an ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, visited Ukraine on Monday to mark World Refugee Day.
He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former actor, and told him: "It's great honor for me. You are my hero. You quit a great acting career for this."
Stiller also visited Poland, which has taken more than one million refugees from Ukraine.
Jolie, a special envoy with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, also visited Ukraine in April, meeting with refugees and volunteers. The war has displaced people within Ukraine as well as caused people to flee to other European countries.
Earlier this month Penn organized a benefit night for Ukraine, where Zelenskyy spoke in a video and singer John Legend performed. The event raised at least $2.5 million.
In that speech, Zelenskyy detailed the destruction in his country, and said: "All of this is not the scenery of a blockbuster about the apocalypse. All of this is our reality."
Penn was in Ukraine when the war began, making a documentary about the country's longstanding conflict with Russia. He walked to the Polish border by foot to escape the war.
And Schreiber co-founded a network that supports and verifies grassroots organizations that are helping Ukrainians.
World leaders have also visited Ukraine during the invasion to show their support for Zelenskyy.