Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared at the annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony virtually. File photo. , Photo Credit: AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared virtually at the annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony on Tuesday to say “there will be no Third World War” as the tide appears to be turning in Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia.
At the 80th Golden Globe Awards in Hollywood, which was broadcast live, Mr. Zelensky said, “World War I took millions of lives. World War II claimed millions of them. There will be no World War III, This is not a trilogy” “Ukraine will stop Russian aggression on our land” with the help of the free world, he said. “It is now 2023; the war in Ukraine is not over yet, but the tide is turning,” Mr Zelensky said. “And it is already clear who will win,” said the Ukrainian president.
At the start of his address, Mr Zelensky pointed out that the award show originated in 1943 when World War II was about to end and it was clear who would win but there were still battles to be fought. “The awards were born at a special time. The Second World War was not yet over, but the tide had turned, everyone knew who would win. There were still battles and tears ahead. It was then that the Golden Globe Awards for Honor The best artists of 1943 appeared.”
He thanked those who supported Ukraine’s independence, saying “our common struggle for freedom, for democracy, for the right to live, for the right to love” is unifying. The audience cheered when President Zelensky announced his presumed victory. He concluded, “We will make it together into a whole, free world, and I hope all of you will be with us on the victorious day—the day of our victory. Slavic Ukrainians.”
Mr Zelensky was introduced by actor-director Sean Penn, best known for his Academy Award-winning performances in 2003’s “Mystic River” and 2008’s “Milk”. The “Gaslit” star met Mr. Zelensky in Kyiv this past November to express his support for the war-torn country, where he was filming a documentary for Vice studios earlier in the year.
“With the other-worldly courage of young Iranians rising up,” Mr. Penn told the crowd. “To the ever-running women’s movement of Afghanistan. We are reminded in no uncertain terms that the freedom to dream is not just a human luxury, but a human need that must be fought for and sacrificed. If dreams Freedom to see is a spear, I proudly present the one person who represents the most respected tip of that spear tonight.”
As a gift, Mr Penn gave Mr Zelensky one of his Oscar trophies in an exchange shared on Twitter by Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Minister. In return, Mr. Penn received an Order of Merit honoring his passionate solidarity with Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky’s Golden Globes appearance came a week after the White House committed to sending $3.75 billion in military aid to Ukraine and adjacent NATO countries – the largest aid package ever from the US amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Last year Mr Zelensky made a surprise appearance at the Grammys appearing virtually from a bunker and has continued to speak at public events advocating for his country in its fight against Russia.