During the weekend, Academy Award-winning actress Jessica Chastain surprised fans by visiting Kyiv, Ukraine. When she arrived, she stopped by Okhmatdyt, a children’s hospital. She later met with the country’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Andriy Yermak, the President’s head of office.
The talented actress bagged an Oscar for her amazing performance in the 2021 romance film “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” She is also the latest celeb to show support for the war-torn country.
Keep reading to see how the President responded.
President Zelenskyy Showed His Gratitude To Jessica Chastain
The 44-year-old President was so grateful for her visit that he shared a message thanking her. He also shouted out other celebs who had visited the country during its crisis. On his Telegram (via Variety), he posted photos of the meeting and added a note:
“American actress Jessica Chastain is in Ukraine today. For us, such visits of famous people are extremely valuable. Thanks to this, the world will hear, know and understand the truth about what is happening in our country even more. Thanks for the support!”
Сьогодні @ZelenskyyUa зустрівся з @jes_chastain, яка в гостях в 🇺🇦. Знаменитості можуть зробити 🇺🇦 одним із головних пріоритетів у глобальному порядку денному. Вони доносять людям світу правду про те, що відбувається в 🇺🇦. pic.twitter.com/LokzcXCsVV
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) August 7, 2022
Andriy Yermak also thanked the star for taking out time to visit. On Twitter, he posted a picture of Chastain, Zelenskyy, and some others, seated at a table mid-discussion.
He captioned, “Today, @ZelenskyyUa met with @jes_chastain, who is visiting [Ukraine]. Keeping [Ukraine] among top priorities on the global agenda is what celebrities can do today. They bring people of the world the truth about what is happening in [Ukraine].”
The Country Is Struggling
In Zelenskyy’s daily statement to the Ukrainians, he assured the country would do everything to ensure their struggles were known worldwide. “Ukraine will do everything to make our struggle and Ukrainian needs known in all countries of the world and in all audiences — even those who usually do not follow political life.”
He then spoke about Chastain and her visit to the country. “In particular, American actress Jessica Chastain arrived in Kyiv today. She visited Okhmatdyt and saw with her own eyes the consequences of the Russian occupation in Irpin, Kyiv region.”
Jessica Chastain Has A Project In The Works For The Country
President Zelenskyy expressed hope that Chastain would create more publicity about the war. “Her story about our war will definitely be heard,” he said. While this caught the attention of many fans, they were more interested when he revealed that they were working on a project together.
“We are preparing an important humanitarian event,” Zelenskyy simply added. “And I am grateful to all friends of Ukraine abroad and to everyone who helps expand our ties in the world.”
He then revealed that the government was trying its best to keep the country safe. “We are doing everything to win, everything to protect our country.” No other info on the project was revealed, but fans can’t wait to know more about it.
Other Celebs Have Helped
Two-time Academy Award-winning actor and director Sean Penn has also dedicated some of his time to educating his fans about the struggles of Ukraine. He recently told the public about the documentary he’s creating about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He also reportedly raised up to £ 2 million for the war victims through a benefit concert.
Meanwhile, actor and director Liev Schreiber has been verifying some organizations that help the country at the grassroots. In response, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence dedicated a tweet to the Hollywood stars who took the time to help them. They wrote that the country was “grateful to Hollywood stars who, despite the danger, have visited us.”
They also tagged Angelina Jolie, Bean Stiller, Penn, and Schreiber and wrote, “you are more than just an inspiration to all of us. Millions around the world have heard the truth from you about the struggle of the 🇺🇦 people.”
The fan-favorite couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher also previously paid a visit to Zelenskyy and Olena, his wife. Per the Evening Standard, Kunis, who has Ukrainian heritage, also raised over £13.7m with her husband through a GoFundMe account created to help Ukraine.