Why Did Russia Sanction Actors Ben Stiller And Sean Penn?

Ben Stiller and Sean Penn are two of the most popular faces of Hollywood. Ben has acted and directed a number of successful films, especially in the comedy genre. He is also the recipient of an Emmy Award as well as several MTV Movie Awards, and a Britannia Award.

Sean, meanwhile, has a long and illustrious career spanning over five decades. Both actors have also been vocal critics of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now, it turns out that Russia imposed personal sanctions on 25 US citizens including these two actors on Monday. Let’s find out more about it.

Ben Stiller And Sean Penn Sanctioned By Russia

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has met with widespread criticism. Several celebrities including actors Ben Stiller and Sean Penn have been critical of Russia.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Russia imposed personal sanctions on 25 American citizens on Monday. The list includes Ben and Sean.

Russia has done this in response to United States sanctions against Russians stemming from the conflict in Ukraine. Several people were on the list including U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Rick Scott of Florida, and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania were also sanctioned.

Both Stiller and Penn have been vocal critics of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Penn is also involved in relief work. Stiller is a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Ben Stiller Called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky His “Hero”

In June, the ‘Zoolander‘ star met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in the country’s capital, Kyiv. Stiller was there as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

Stiller met with him after doing a tour of the occupied settlements in the Kyiv region. In a video, Stiller and Zelensky were seen greeting each other cheerfully before sitting down to talk about the country’s situation.

Stiller told Zelensky, “You’re my hero!”. The actor was accompanied by Karolina Lindholm Billing, a UNHCR representative in Ukraine.

“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.

“What you saw in Irpin is definitely dreadful,” Zelensky responded. “But it is even worse to just imagine what is happening in the settlements that are still under temporary occupation in the east.”