His assistants pressured the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a night of Oscar support. He re-released his own Netflix TV show in the middle of the war. President Volodymyr Zelensky, the actor who became Ukraine’s wartime leader, has dedicated most of his public appearances to appeals to Western nations for deadly weapons to fight the Russians: tanks, jets and missiles. But Mr. Zelensky, who before starring starred in romantic comedies and played stand-up routines, also pushed celebrities and artists to talk about his country, in what his associates say is a worthwhile effort to consolidate. Ukraine’s global soft power advantage over Russia. “We live in the modern world and we know that opinion leaders and celebrities are important,” said Ekaterin Zguladze, a former interior minister who is now involved in the Ukrainian government’s quest to gain the support of artists, musicians and celebrities. “It is not only politicians who shape the world.” Ms Zguladze added: “Right now, there is real solidarity around the world for Ukraine. “And this solidarity is not due to the divisive images of devastated cities and human tragedy, but to the values we all share.” But Ukraine’s appeal to the academy, the Oscar-winning organization, has met with its own drama. Ahead of the show, organizers said the war would be fought and human losses honored, but they had not pledged a video appearance by Mr Zelensky, said Brian Keith Etheridge, a Los Angeles-based comedian. She helped coordinate the Ukrainian government’s approach to the academy, with the help of Mila Kunis, a Ukrainian actress, and her husband, Ashton Kutcher. “The concern they have given us is that they do not want to politicize the show too much,” Etheridge said. If Zelensky just says ‘thank you’, he will remind people and he could raise millions of dollars. It’s such a giant platform just to show his face. “ Sean Penn in Rzeszow, Poland, last week after leaving Ukraine, where he was shooting a documentary about the Russian invasion. Sean Penn, who was shooting a documentary in Ukraine when the war broke out, called for a boycott of the Oscars if Mr Zelensky was not allowed to appear on video and promised to smell his own awards if the academy snubbed the Ukrainian leader. . The statues of the awards are made of gilded bronze. If the producers of the Oscars do not allow the emergence of “the leadership in Ukraine, which takes bullets and bombs for us, along with the children of Ukraine trying to protect, then I think every single one of these people, and every part of this decision “It would be the most obscene moment in all of Hollywood history,” Penn told CNN. Speaking at a news conference Thursday, the producers said they intended to honor the dead of the war, but did not commit to a video presentation by Mr Zelensky. “We will be very careful about how we recognize where we are in the world,” Will Packer, producer of the Oscars, told a news conference Thursday. Regarding a possible appearance of Mr. Zelenski, he said: “The show is in progress, so this is not something we would say definitively in one way or another at this point. As I said before, we want to be fun and festive, but we will definitely do it with respect. “ Preparations at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood on Saturday, before Sunday’s Oscars. Credit … Ruth Fremson / The New York Times Comedian Wanda Sykes, one of the co-hosts of the ceremony, wrote of Mr. Zelensky, “Isn’t he busy right now?” While Mr Zelensky’s aides pushed for support during the show in whatever form it took, seeking any way to win the support of audiences in the West, the value of supporting celebrities in a shooting war is not universally recognized in Ukraine. “Ultimately, what is happening on the ground is important,” said Oleksandr Danylyuk, a former secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. “Everyone does what they can. I do not know if another speech by Zelensky will make a difference. But it is good that those who start it want to do it. “Everyone wants to help in every way.” But Mr Danylyuk said “in the end, you need results”, such as supplies of fighter jets, tanks or missiles to the Ukrainian army. Mr Zelensky pressured all fronts to convey to a wider audience, and especially to arms-supplying countries, the moral imperative of supporting Ukraine in the war. Mr Zelensky addresses Congress via video this month. He has worked to persuade the general public of the moral imperative of supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. Credit … Sarahbeth Maney / The New York Times “In general, Zelensky is really following the news from Hollywood and looking for opportunities for support,” said Sergi Letschenko, an adviser to the president’s chief of staff. The push for support for Ukraine during the Oscars began a week ago, after Mr Zelensky spoke on a video call from Kyiv with Mr Kutcher and Ms Kunis to thank the couple for raising $ 35 million for Ukrainian refugees and humanitarian aid. GoFundMe campaign, said Mr. Leshchenko. Ms. Kunis recently starred in “Breaking News in Yuba County” and has planned a Netflix-based movie, “Luckiest Girl Alive.” “Ukrainians are proud and brave people who deserve our help in times of need,” he wrote in the fundraising appeal. “This unjust attack on Ukraine and on humanity in general is catastrophic and the Ukrainian people need our support.” Following the video call, Mr Zelensky’s aides sought a last-minute venue at the Oscars. Mr Zelensky has always had a strong sense of image and narrative in politics. Earlier this month, he said he knew his repeated televised calls for resistance and continued presence in the besieged capital had made him a symbol of bravery in many countries. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at a press conference earlier this month in Kyiv, the capital. Credit … Lynsey Addario for the New York Times The Oscars are also a natural fit for his government’s call for humanitarian aid, as many of his top aides are also veterans of the film industry. The head of the presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, was a media lawyer and film producer. The head of the domestic intelligence service, Ivan Bakanov, was the director of the Kvartal 95 studio. , “The Inlaws”. Before becoming president of Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky played a president in his own TV series, “Servant of the People,” which aired on Netflix this month. The character, a teacher, is pushed to the presidency after he goes on a riot against corruption, which is filmed by his students in a video that goes viral. Maria Varenikova contributed to the report from Kyiv and Matt Stevens from New York.
