Yahoo News Oscars Turned Down Virtual Appearance from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Report
VLADIMIR SIMICEK/AFP via Getty; Getty Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Oscar statue
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reportedly turned down an appearance from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oscars for the second year in a row.
According to Variety, Zelenskyy, 45, hoped to appear virtually during Sunday's broadcast of the awards ceremony on ABC amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The appearance would have followed several of its kind during shows like the 2022 Grammy Awards last April and the 2023 Golden Globes earlier this year, during which the actor-turned-politician offered messages of peace.
Reps for the Academy declined to comment to Variety, and did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
During January's Golden Globes ceremony, Zelenskyy appeared via video to share a message of hope after he was introduced by actor and filmmaker Sean Penn, who filmed a documentary about Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine over February and March 2022.
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Adri Salido/Anadolu Agency via Getty Volodymyr Zelenskyy
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"The [Golden Globe Awards were] borne at a special time," Zelenskyy began. "The second World War wasn't over yet, but the tide was turned [and] all knew who would win. There were still battles and tears ahead. It was then when the Golden Globe Awards appeared to honor the best performers of 1943."
"It is now 2023; the war in Ukraine is not over yet, but the tide is turning," he continued. "And it is already clear who will win."
And while "there are still battles and tears ahead," Zelenskyy added, "I can definitely tell you who were the best in the previous year: It was you, the free people of the free world."
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"Those who united around the support of the free Ukrainian people in our common struggle for freedom, democracy," he said. "For the right to live, to love, to give birth, no matter who you are, no matter where you are from, no matter who you are with. The struggle for the right of the new generations to know about the war only from movies."
"The first World War claimed millions of lives; the second World War claimed tens of millions of them. There will be no third world war; it is not a trilogy," continued Zelenskyy, who was previously named Time magazine's 2022 Person of the Year. "Ukraine will stop the Russian aggression on our land."
He concluded, "We will make it together with a whole, free world, and I hope that all of you will be with us on the victorious day — the day of our victory. Slava Ukraini."
The Oscars air live on ABC Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
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.
