Orlando Bloom has made a surprise visit to Ukraine and met with President Zelensky at the Presidential Palace.
Bloom, 46, spent three days in Ukraine in the cities of Kyiv, Irpin, and Demydiv as he underwent his work as an ambassador for UNICEF, the UN's children's organization.
As reported by the Daily Mail, this was the actor's first trip to the country since 2016, meaning it's his first visit since the Russian invasion began over a year ago.
More than eight million Ukrainians have reportedly fled the country after the invasion, meaning millions of children have been displaced due to the ongoing war.
While in Kyiv, Bloom met President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the pair discussed the ongoing rebuilding projects to support the children of Ukraine as well as the humanitarian efforts taking place in the country.
During a clip of the two men discussing the war, Bloom said that Zelensky's messaging throughout the conflict "reflected in [the Ukrainian people's] courage and determination".
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor also claimed that "the world is watching" in reference to the arrest warrant issued for Vladimir Putin over the alleged deportation of children from Ukraine.
Bloom and Zelensky discussed how they could support the children of Ukraine, with the actor stating: "To see the children, to see in their eyes - its palpable - the anxiety... and yet the strength of the Ukrainian people is something that is really awe-inspiring."
According to TMZ, 465 children have been killed during the conflict and around 14,000 have been kidnapped and deported across the border into Russia, as stated by Ukrainian officials.
Bloom doubled down on his opinions of Putin: "Of course, he who shall not be mentioned was made a war criminal because of this. And, it's so horrific what's going on."
Zelensky played down the praise that Bloom gave him and credited the strength and unity of the Ukrainian people for their successes in holding off the Russian invaders.
Bloom ended the meeting with a message from his Buddhist mentor. as he told Zelensky: "Your victory, will be the victory of humanism. Your defeat would be the defeat of hope, hence you must win.
"You must fight with an indomitable spirit. Once fortune was against a knight who was captured in battle by his enemies and had his castle confiscated.
"Where is your castle now? they asked," Bloom continued telling Zelensky. "The knight answered resolutely, holding his head high: 'My castle is in my heart'."
When leaving the room, the actor had a final message for the President from his mother, who said: "My mother sang the Ukrainian national anthem. She says, "If you see Zelensky, you tell him to win!"
Writing about his meeting with Zelensky on Instagram, Bloom said: "Thousands of schools in Ukraine have been damaged or completely destroyed. Almost 2.7 million Ukrainian schoolchildren are forced to study online or in a mixed format. About 1.5 million Ukrainian boys and girls are at risk of developing depression, anxiety and other psychological problems."
"We all know what this aggression has brought and how full-scale the world’s efforts must be to stop it, to rebuild Ukraine after the war."
