Celebrities react to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
On February 24, 2022, the world woke up to shocking news: Russia had launched an attack on Ukraine. The Russian invasion was an imminent threat but, nonetheless, the attack came as a surprise. Reactions to the conflict started to appear soon after, particularly on social media, and many stars had a word to say about it as well.
Angelina Jolie, Hollywood actress and UNHCR Special Envoy, made a surprise visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on April 29. Lviv regional governor Maksym Kozytskyy said Jolie had come to speak with internally displaced people who have found refuge in Lviv, including children who sustained injuries in the missile strike on Kramatorsk railway station in early April, a strike which killed over 50 civilians, Time reports. Jolie also reportedly visited a boarding school and met with evacuees arriving at Lviv’s central railway station, as well as with the Ukrainian volunteers providing the new arrivals with medical help and counseling.
“As well as the millions who’ve fled over Ukraine’s borders, nearly 2 million people are displaced inside their country, many trapped by fighting, denied access to aid, and in direct physical danger,” Jolie captioned an Instagram post last month. “Without an end to the war children will pay the highest price—in trauma, lost childhoods and shattered lives.”
Click through and see how other celebrities have reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom flew to Moldova in his capacity as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He spent his trip volunteering with Ukrainian mothers and children who had escaped the war by crossing the border into Moldova. Bloom was overwhelmed by what he saw there and wrote a heartfelt essay to share his experience. “As a father, I would do whatever it took to protect my children, yet I could barely begin to comprehend the devastating decisions these mothers were forced to make,” he explained, referring to the lengths many parents had to go to in order to get their children out of Ukraine safely. They fled their homes and the lives they had known to escape the bombing, risking everything to cross the border and reach what they hoped would be safety.
Bloom also shared some important information from UNICEF: “Together, with the 2.5 million children internally displaced inside Ukraine, [the war has led to] one of the fastest large-scale displacements of children since World War II.” He reflected on the fear and trauma that was changing the lives of so many children, and wondered what it would be like for his own kids “to suffer the pain and grief of losing their homes and everything they’ve ever known in a senseless instant.” Bloom finished his essay by recalling a small act of kindness from a local Moldovan man who came to bring toys to the refugee children, and hoped that small gestures such as this would help them make it through the crisis.
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Pink Floyd
The legendary English rock band Pink Floyd has reunited to create new music for the first time in almost 30 years to raise money for the people of Ukraine. Core band members David Gilmour and Nick Mason have teamed up with Ukrainian rockstar Andriy Khlyvnyuk for their song, ‘Hey Hey Rise Up.’ (Roger Waters, who left Pink Floyd in the 1980s, is not involved.) Gilmour was inspired by a video of Khlyvnyuk singing a patriotic Ukrainian song outside of Kyiv’s St. Sophia Cathedral and decided to sample it for a new track, with Khlyvnyuk’s blessing. Khlyvnyuk was touring the US when the invasion occurred and immediately flew back to his home country to join the territorial defense efforts. He was in hospital recovering from a shrapnel injury when he got the call from David Gilmour. The song was released on Friday, April 8, and all of the proceeds will go to the Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Fund.
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Ed Sheeran and Camila Cabello
Ed Sheeran and Camila Cabello were two of the biggest stars who took part in ITV’s Concert for Ukraine on March 29. Taking place at Resorts World Arena and hosted by Emma Bunton, Marvin Humes, and Roman Kemp, the event brought in £12.2 million (US$16 million) for the Disasters Emergency Committee to support those affected by the war in Ukraine. Sheeran performed ‘Bad Habits’ and ‘Perfect,’ and was joined by Cabello for their recent collaboration ‘Bam Bam’–which was the first time they performed the song live together. “We’re all praying tonight for the peace and safety of the people of Ukraine,” Cabello told the crowd. “Thank you so much for being part of this super important fundraiser and please donate anything you can.” Other performers included Anne-Marie, Snow Patrol, Tom Odell, and Emeli Sande.
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Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher tend to fly below the radar most of the time, but they’re not afraid to speak out about issues close to their hearts. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is particularly personal for them as Kunis was born in Ukraine and moved to the US with her parents when she was seven. She and her husband posted a video to social media on March 3 about the conflict, and Kunis stated that she’s “never been more proud to be a Ukrainian.” She condemned Russia’s actions, saying, “The events that have unfolded in Ukraine are devastating. There is no place in this world for this kind of unjust attack on humanity.” The couple shared a GoFundMe page to raise money for aid in Ukraine, and just two weeks later, they posted on Instagram to say that over 65,000 people had donated and helped them reach their goal of US$30 million. “We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the support,” Kunis continued, “While this is far from a solve of the problem, our collective effort will provide a softer landing for so many people as they forge ahead into their future of uncertainty.”
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Maksim Chmerkovskiy
The Ukrainian choreographer and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ alum was actually in Kyiv, Ukraine, when the conflict began. He posted several videos on social media as he tried to escape, and was at one point arrested for a brief period. He was eventually able to leave Ukraine and get to Poland.
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Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
The Hollywood power couple announced they’re matching up to US$1 million in donations made to help Ukrainian refugees. “@vancityreynolds and I are doubling every dollar donated to @usaforunhcr up to $1,000,000 link in bio to donate @usaforunhcr is on the ground helping the 50,000+ Ukrainians who had to flee their homes in less than 48 hours. @usaforunhcr is providing life saving aid, and also working with neighboring countries to ensure protection for these families,” wrote the actress on Instagram.
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Ashton Kutcher
The actor is married to actress Mila Kunis, who was born in Ukraine. “I stand with Ukraine,” he tweeted on February 24.
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Sean Penn
The actor actually traveled to Ukraine to work on a documentary about the conflict. “Already a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken, and if he doesn’t relent, I believe Mr. Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind. President Zelensky 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,” Penn tweeted.
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Sean Penn
Sean Penn has even walked on foot to the border with Poland with refugees. The actor tweeted about it: “Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road. Almost all the cars in this photo carry women & children only, most without any sign of luggage, and a car their only possession of value.”
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Wladimir Klitschko
“I am Ukrainian, and I am a fighter,” said former champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko, who together with his brother Vitali, the mayor of Kyiv, said he’s ready to fight for his country. “No one else is going to decide for us how we should live,” he added.
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Hayden Panettiere
The actress was married to Wladimir Klitschko, and shares a daughter with him. “What Putin is doing is an absolute disgrace! This horrific moment in history sends a terrifying message: the message that in this day and age, in [the] year 2022, it’s okay to violate the rights of free people and allow autocrats like Putin to take whatever they please. I’m praying for my family and friends there and everyone who’s fighting. I wish you had more support and I wish I was there fighting with you! For now, I ask for those of us who can’t be there to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and show your support for #democracy,” Panettiere wrote on Instagram.
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Angelina Jolie
“Like many of you, I’m praying for the people in Ukraine. My focus along with my @refugees colleagues is that everything possible is done to ensure the protection and basic human rights of those displaced, and refugees in the region. We have already seen reports of casualties and people starting to flee their homes to seek safety. It is too soon to know what will happen, but the significance of this moment – for the people of Ukraine, and for the international rule of law – cannot be overstated,” wrote the actress and UNHCR ambassador on Instagram.
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Milla Jovovich
The actress, who was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, is devastated by the news. “I am heartbroken and dumbstruck trying to process the events of this week in my birthplace of Ukraine. My country and people being bombed. Friends and family in hiding. My blood and my roots come from both Russia and Ukraine. I am torn in two as I watch the horror unfolding, the country being destroyed, families being displaced, their whole life lying in charred fragments around them,” Jovovich wrote on Instagram. “I remember the war in my father’s homeland of former Yugoslavia and the stories my family tells of the trauma and terror they experienced. War. Always war. Leaders who cannot bring peace. The never ending juggernaut of imperialism. And always, the people pay in bloodshed and tears,” she added.
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Katheryn Winnick
The ‘Vikings’ actress reacted to the conflict on February 24, writing: “I woke up this morning with texts from my Ukrainian family & friends saying ‘it has begun.’ Some fleeing, some taking shelter underground & some stayin to fight. We are a peaceful country. We do not deserve this war. #IStandWithUkraine.”
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Elon Musk
Ukraine’s vice-prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted Elon Musk asking him “to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand.” To which the Musk replied: “Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.”
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Prince Charles
During a visit to Southend-on-Sea on March 1, Prince Charles likened the violence of the conflict to the murder of Parliament member Sir David Amess, who was murdered in 2021. “What we saw in the terrible tragedy in Southend was an attack on democracy, on an open society, on freedom itself,” he said. “We are seeing those same values under attack today in Ukraine in the most unconscionable way. In the stand we take here, we are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression.”
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Prince William and Kate Middleton took to Twitter to share their support to the Ukrainian people: “In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine’s future. Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine’s people as they bravely fight for that future.”
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
A statement posted on Archewell.com on February 24 read: “Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us at Archewell stand with the people of Ukraine against this breach of international and humanitarian law and encourage the global community and its leaders to do the same.”
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Arnold Schwarzenegger
The actor and former politician said we should focus “on what’s happening on the ground” and that he’d would “leave the analysis to smarter people” than him. “I do know what it’s like to grow up after a war, in an occupied country, and I know that in war and its aftermath, no one wins. Everyone suffers. War has a way of breaking the winners along with the losers. I have Ukrainian friends and fans and I have Russian friends and fans. As far as I can tell, none of them want this. I hope sanity will eventually prevail and end this unnecessary war before too many lives are broken. In the meantime, I stand with the people of Ukraine. I share your grief and your hope for peace,” he added.
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Mark Ruffalo
The actor took to Twitter to send “love and good prayers to all innocent people of Ukraine and Russia and Europe who are caught up in this sad and corrosive moment of asymmetrical violence and destruction, especially the young people. You have done nothing to deserve this perversion and obscene spectacle.”
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Elton John
“For over 20 years, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has supported some of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine with access to HIV services and care, as part of our commitment to communities across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. We are heartbroken and appalled to see this conflict unfold and our hearts are with the people of Ukraine who do not deserve to live through this nightmare. During these devastating times, we stand for an end to the violence and suffering in Ukraine so that life-saving services and humanitarian aid can reach those desperately in need,” wrote the music star.
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George W. Bush
The former US President said the following about the conflict: “Russia’s attack on Ukraine constitutes the gravest security crisis on the European continent since World War II. I join the international community in condemning Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. The American government and people must stand in solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people as they seek freedom and the right to choose their own future.”
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Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus reacted to waking up to the conflict on February 24. “This morning was heartbreaking waking up to the news that Ukraine had been invaded. I had the most incredible experience filming ‘Nothing Breaks Like a Heart’ in Kyiv, and I will be forever grateful to the local community who welcomed me with open arms. There are local reports that at least 40 local Ukrainians have been killed already, and this conflict can lead to many more deaths, another refugee crisis with so many forced to flee their homes and more. I am standing in solidarity with everyone in Ukraine who is affected by this attack and with our global community who is calling for an immediate end to this violence,” she wrote on Instagram.
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Gigi Hadid
The model took to Instagram to show her support for Ukraine: “My heart is hurting for the Ukraine and all those affected by this unimaginable reality. Putin’s actions are a threat to every Democratic country in the world and must be stopped. I pray that the support other countries provide can give the Ukrainians what they have voted for and deserve. Peace. Peace. Peace. HANDS OFF UKRAINE.”
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Priyanka Chopra
The actress took to Instagram to share her thoughts on the conflict: “Innocent people living in fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones, while trying to navigate the uncertainty of the immediate future. It’s difficult to comprehend how in the modern world this could escalate to such a catastrophic point, but this is a consequential moment that will reverberate around the world. There are innocent lives living in this war zone. They are just like you and me.”
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George Takei
“The protests in Russia from brave citizens there, risking true life and liberty to voice their opposition to Putin’s war with Ukraine, make the ‘convoys’ protest in North America over ‘freedum’ seem truly ludicrous,” wrote the actor and activist.
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Yoko Ono
The artist has taken part in her fair share of anti-war protests, so it’s no surprise she had her thoughts on the conflict. “Remember, we are all family. Think PEACE, Act PEACE, Spread PEACE, Imagine PEACE. Together, we will shift the axis of the world to PEACE,” she tweeted.
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Stephen King
“For the first time in a long and infamous career, Putin looks stupid. It must come as a shock to him,” twitted the author. Stephen King also shared a selfie wearing a t-shirt supporting Ukraine.
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John Cleese
“Byline suggests that Ukraine threatens Putin because it’s struggling to become a democracy, and it’s also trying to fight corruption Putin knows that if these ideas spread, they would be fatal to him. As they would to the Trump Republicans No wonder they are supporting Putin,” said the British comedic actor.
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Shannen Doherty
“This is happening now. Pay attention. Speak up. I can’t believe celebrities and influencers are posting about their latest success or newest bag when children, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters are being killed. While I realize that there is a limit to what social media can accomplish, I also think it can do much more than simply being a self serving platform. Ukraine I am praying for you Ukraine,” wrote the actress on Instagram.
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Eiza Gonzalez
The Mexican actress took to Instagram to share her support for Ukraine. “What is happening in Ukraine at the moment is so utterly devastating. It’s grotesque to witness what one man’s ambition and ego can account for. I’m praying for everyone suffering and so angered and distraught by the state of the world. My heart goes out to the people trapped in this horrific situation,” she wrote.
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Cardi B
The American rapper showed her support for the people affected by the war in a statement: “Wish these world leaders [would] stop tripping about power and really think about who’s really getting affected (citizens) besides the whole world is in a crisis. War, sanctions, invasions should be the last thing these leaders should worry about… I’m really not on NATO’s side, I’m really not on the Russian side, I’m actually in the citizens’ side, because at the end of the day, the world is having a crisis right now.”
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Annie Lennox
On February 23, a day before the Russian invasion, the singer shared her thoughts on the matter: “Now that the tanks, soldiers and war machinery are on the brink of entering Ukraine…what now? The hell that ‘warfare’ unleashes? A frenzy of blood letting.. Crushing of flesh and bones.. The collective trauma of suffering of pain, grief, anguish and despair for innocent men, women and children? What kind of ‘price’ must ordinary people pay for the nightmarish madness and brutality of ‘invasion’ and ‘warfare’? Or is this just an elaborate hoax? A scare tactic? A threat? Apologies for this dark reflection, but I’ve had the privilege of living in a ‘peaceful’ context since I was born – a decade after the end of WW2 – 67 years in total. I don’t take this for granted in any way and therefore find the notion of ‘war’ to be unacceptable repugnant barbarism. Sorry friendsI just had to express this.”
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Piers Morgan
The British journalist shared a few words about Putin: “This is an act of war by a bully-boy thug who doesn’t think the rest of the world has the guts or will to stop him… Shameful.”
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Bethenny Frankel
The TV personality posted about how her foundation (Bstrong) is helping Ukrainian people. “We are in motion to ship 100,000 hygiene kits, #Bstrong survival kits, blankets, generators, sleeping bags to Ukraine’s NATO boarding countries. This initial commitment of supplies will exceed $10M. Our teams will be on the ground in Rzeszów, Poland Friday to set up base camps for refugee operations with our Polish and Ukrainian partners,” she wrote.
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Val Chmerkovskiy
The Ukrainian-born dancer, best known for his work in ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and brother of Maksim Chmerkovskiy, opened up about his past and asked for the Russian people to stand up to Putin. “My parents fled this country for this exact reason. Not because it wasn’t good to them, but because their kids would see war eventually. It’s a cruel irony that 28 years later my brother [Maksim] is in a bombshelter in Kiev. If they hadn’t left I would be on the front lines defending my home right now. And the most heartbreaking thing of all I would be either killing or dying at the hands of my fellow brothers. The Russian people don’t want this!! We stood by each others side. We loved and celebrated one another. I speak Russian yes but make no mistake about it, I am a proud Ukranian and now the world will finally know the difference. Slava Ukraini all day every day! And to all my Russian friends this might be the best and only time t stand up to your dictator.”
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