Ben Stiller Meets Comedian-Turned-Ukrainian President Zelenskyy: 'You're My Hero'
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The comedy screen star has no doubt inspired many actors himself but on Monday he came face-to-face with a man who has recently become his "hero" — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The producer-and-director is visiting Europe as part of his role as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations and stopped by to see the comedian-turned-politician, who he praised for his response to the Russian invasion.
The Zoolander star met with Zelenskyy at his presidential office after visiting the ruins of Irpin. Stiller was pictured walking through the rubble of settlements bombed by Russian forces.
"It's one thing to see this destruction on TV or on social networks. Another thing is to see it all with your own eyes. That's a lot more shocking," Stiller said.
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Stiller spoke with the president about the needs of displaced Ukrainians, according to the government website. The United Nations agency is on the ground delivering emergency supplies, blankets and more.
Stiller was accompanied by UNHCR Representative in Ukraine Karolina Lindholm Billing.
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"What you saw in Irpin is definitely dreadful. But it is even worse to just imagine what is happening in the settlements that are still under temporary occupation in the east," Zelenskyy told Stiller.
Stiller issued a statement the same day emphasizing how it's everyone's responsibility to help those affected by war.
"I'm here meeting people forced to flee their homes due to the war in Ukraine. People have shared stories about how the war has changed their lives — how they've lost everything and are deeply worried about their future," Stiller said in a statement on Monday.
UNHCR/Andrew McConnell
The film star arrived in Poland on Saturday where he met refugees forced to flee Ukraine due to the Russian invasion.
It's not the first time Stiller has brought attention to the refugee crisis. Over the years the actor has worked with the UNHCR on several projects and in his latest appearance, the Goodwill Ambassador called for urgent support for the 100 million displaced people around the world.
"Over the years I've had the chance to meet refugees and asylum seekers from around the world from Syria, Central America, Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Ukraine," Stiller continued in the statement. "In so many parts of the world, war and violence devastate people and leave lasting traumatic effects. Wherever and whenever it happens, nobody chooses to flee their home.
"Seeking safety is a right and it needs to be upheld for every person. Protecting people forced to flee is a collective global responsibility. We have to remember this could happen to anyone, anywhere."
Russia's attack on Ukraine continues after their forces launched a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.
Details of the fighting change by the day, but thousands of civilians have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. Millions of Ukrainians have also fled, the United Nations says.
"You don't know where to go, where to run, who you have to call. This is just panic," Liliya Marynchak, a 45-year-old teacher in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, told PEOPLE of the moment her city was bombed — one of numerous accounts of bombardment by the Russians.
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The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia.
With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for peace talks — so far unsuccessful — while urging his country to fight back.
Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Zelenskyy vowed not to bend.
"Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians," he told the European Union in a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, "Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness."
The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.
