Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Hollywood couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher for their efforts to provide financial aid to the people of Ukraine amid war with Russia.

The duo set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for refugee and humanitarian aid in the country. Gaining over $35 million through the campaign, Kunis and Kutcher also added $3 million of their own money. 

On Sunday, Zelensky expressed his gratitude towards the couple on Twitter, saying that they were “among the first to respond to our grief”. 

“They have already raised $35 million & are sending it to @flexport & @Airbnb to help ?? refugees. Grateful for their support. Impressed by their determination. They inspire the world. #StandWithUkraine,” Zelensky wrote on the platform.  

Kunis, who originally hails from Ukraine, set up the GoFundMe page and penned down a note.

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“Today, I am a proud Ukrainian,” Kunis wrote on the GoFundMe page. “While my family came to the United States in 1991, I was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine in 1983. Ukrainians are proud and brave people who deserve our help in their time of need. This unjust attack on Ukraine and humanity at large is devastating and the Ukrainian people need our support,” Kunis wrote. 

“While we are witnessing the bravery of Ukrainians, we are also bearing witness to the unimaginable burden of those who have chosen safety. Countless amounts of people have left everything they know and love behind to seek refuge. With nothing but what they could carry, these Ukrainian refugees are in need of housing and supplies right away,” she added.

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The 38-year-old actor also addressed the present situation in her homeland in an interview with American journalist Maria Shriver, stating that she was “awestricken” by civilians who were defending the country “with their own makeshift weapons.” 

“It is inspiring,” she added, expressing her admiration for Zelensky.

Before the pandemic began, the celebrity duo met Zelensky and had a “beautiful conversation” with the leader in which he mentioned that he hoped to “empower the people” and the country.