Ukraine's Zelensky Reportedly in Talks to Make Appearance During Sunday's Academy Awards

Due to Russia's ongoing special military operation in Ukraine, Zelensky, a former actor, is unashamedly willing to regularly address anyone and everyone, seeking a sympathetic ear in the wider world by explaining how he is no different from anybody else.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in talks with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to make a video appearance during Sunday's presentation of the 94th Academy Awards, the New York Post reported on Friday.

According to the outlet's sources, Academy decision-makers are still deciding how Zelensky would appear on the show to address the audience and the world. It was also unclear to sources whether he would appear live or use a pre-recorded message. However, most observers of the conflict suggest that Zelensky would opt for a live video address.

The news comes as the age-old discussion again revolves in Hollywood about whether art should remain out of politics amid events taking place in the world and particularly, in Ukraine.

Show broadcaster ABC is thought to support having Zelensky speak. It is also expected that Mila Kunis, a Ukrainian-born actress who donated $35 million for Ukrainian migrants alongside her husband, Ashton Kutcher, are reportedly expected to make an address during the awards presentation. The contributions of Kutcher and Kunis have been acknowledged by Zelensky. The Ukrainian president posted a tweeted an image of himself in a Zoom meeting with the couple on on Sunday.

The Academy has been tight-lipped about how it will weigh in on the crisis. Earlier this week, the show’s executive producer, Will Packer, reportedly told media that in such a "time in humankind history" it would be the right move to "find a way to respectfully acknowledge where we are and how fortunate we are to even be able to put on this show."

Last week, when the Ukrainian president addressed the Israeli Knesset, he reportedly tried to speak to the hearts of people, finding similarities between Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and the actions of the Nazis in World War II. Zelensky stated that the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin was pursuing a "final solution" against Ukraine and asked for assistance from Israel, just as the Ukrainians "came to the rescue" of Jews 80 years ago.

Some Israeli politicians, including the country's prime minister, did not appreciate the comparison of the special military operation in Ukraine to the Holocaust, which killed at least six million Jews. Others commented to Zelensky that Ukrainian nationalist collaborators actively cooperated with the Nazi regime and were directly involved in acts of the extermination of Jews.

A week prior, in a virtual address to the US Congress, Zelensky referenced Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I have a dream" speech, asking lawmakers to instate a no-fly zone over Ukraine. This move to reach out to the hearts of lawmakers by citing the iconic American caused some criticism in the country, as Washington is generally opposed to the move, with some exceptions. Others have suggested that instituting a no-fly zone over Ukraine would cause the start of World War III.

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