Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday made a virtual appearance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards that was being held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena In Las Vegas.
What Happened: Zelenskyy, speaking from his war headquarters in Kyiv, addressed the awards dressed in his now trademark army-style tee shirt.
He said, “What is more opposite to music? The silence of ruined cities and killed people.”
wild. Zelensky @ the Grammys pic.twitter.com/6Vu18KJ11b
— matthew stasoff (@mattstasoff) April 4, 2022
Referring to fatalities in the war, Zelenskyy said that over 400 children have been injured and 153 are dead.
“Our loved ones don’t know if we will be together again,” said Zelenskyy.
“The war doesn’t let us choose who survives and who stays in eternal silence.”
He said Ukraine’s musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. “They sing to the wounded. In hospitals.”
Zelenskyy said the country’s musicians are singing to those “who can’t hear them," adding that “the music will break through anyway.”
He urged those present to “Fill the silence” brought on by the Russian invasion “with your music.”
“Fill it today. To tell our story,” said Zelenskyy. “Tell the truth about this war on your social networks, on TV. Support us in any way you can. Any — but not silence.”
Why It Matters: The recently held Academy Awards held a moment of silence to show support for war-torn Ukraine, which has been grappling with a Russian invasion for more than a month.
Ukraine-born Mila Kunis said at the Oscars, “In such devastation, it’s impossible not to be moved by their resilience. One cannot help but be in awe of those who find the strength to keep fighting through unimaginable darkness,” according to a report from the Deadline.
There was speculation about Zelenskyy’s appearance at the Oscars as well, but he did not make it to the awards.
Actor Sean Penn, who was in Ukraine to film a documentary when the invasion started, reportedly threatened to smelt his iconic Oscar trophies if Zelenskyy was not invited.
Zelenskyy’s use of social media, particularly Telegram and Twitter Inc’s TWTR platform, has galvanized support for the country and its people.
The country has also become crypto-savvy, raising more than $70 million in Bitcoin BTC/USD and Ethereum ETH/USD, and other digital coins, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation.
Photo by The Presidential Office of Ukraine on Wikimedia
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