Ukrainian Celebrities Supporting and Speaking Up for Ukraine Amid Russian Invasion: Mila Kunis, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and More

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Ukrainian Celebrities Supporting and Speaking Up for Ukraine Amid Russian Invasion: Mila Kunis, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and More

For love of country. Mila Kunis, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and more Ukrainian celebrities are taking a stand and showing support for their homeland amid the unrest in Ukraine. “I was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, in 1983. I came to America in 1991 and I have always considered myself an American. A proud American,” Kunis, 38, said in a social media video on March 3, just weeks after the European country was attacked by Russia. “I love everything that this country has done for myself and my family. But today, I have never been more proud to be a Ukrainian.” The That ‘70s Show alum was joined by her husband, Ashton Kutcher, in the clip, as the duo urged their followers to send any financial aid they could to the Ukrainian people amid the invasion. “And I have never been more proud to be married to a Ukrainian,” Kutcher, 44, said in the video, explaining that the couple had created a GoFundMe to try and raise $30 million in support of refugee aid and other humanitarian efforts. The Ranch alum captioned the video with a message about their fundraising efforts. “While we are witnessing the bravery of Ukrainians, we are also bearing witness to the unimaginable burden of those who have chosen safety,” Kutcher wrote via Instagram. “Through GoFundMe, this fundraiser will provide an immediate impact on refugee and humanitarian aid efforts.” [sendtonews type="float" key="Zx8jzXBbV2-2834326-14453"] Chmerkovskiy, for his part, was stuck in Ukraine working on the country’s version of World of Dance, when Russia first invaded. While the 42-year-old Dancing With the Stars alum was able to get back to the United States in early March, he and his brother, Val Chmerkovskiy, who are both from the eastern European nation, have been actively trying to help for their people. “My parents fled this country for this exact reason,” Val, 35, wrote via Instagram Story in February. “Not because it wasn’t good to them, but because their kids would see war eventually. It’s a cruel irony that 28 years later my brother is in a bomb shelter in [Kyiv]. If they hadn’t left I would be on the front lines defending my home right now.” The two-time DWTS winner added: “And the most heartbreaking thing of all, I would be either killing or dying at the hands of my fellow brothers. The Russian people don’t want this!! We stood by each others’ side. We loved and celebrated one another. I speak Russian, yes, but make no mistake I am a proud Ukrainian and now the world will finally know the difference.” Scroll down to see how Ukrainian stars are working toward peace in the Ukraine: [podcast_block]

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Ukrainian Celebrities Supporting and Speaking Up for Ukraine Amid Russian Invasion: Mila Kunis, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and More

For love of country. Mila Kunis, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and more Ukrainian celebrities are taking a stand and showing support for their homeland amid the unrest in Ukraine. “I was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, in 1983. I came to America in 1991 and I have always considered myself an American. A proud American,” Kunis, 38, said in a social media video on March 3, just weeks after the European country was attacked by Russia. “I love everything that this country has done for myself and my family. But today, I have never been more proud to be a Ukrainian.” The That ‘70s Show alum was joined by her husband, Ashton Kutcher, in the clip, as the duo urged their followers to send any financial aid they could to the Ukrainian people amid the invasion. “And I have never been more proud to be married to a Ukrainian,” Kutcher, 44, said in the video, explaining that the couple had created a GoFundMe to try and raise $30 million in support of refugee aid and other humanitarian efforts. The Ranch alum captioned the video with a message about their fundraising efforts. “While we are witnessing the bravery of Ukrainians, we are also bearing witness to the unimaginable burden of those who have chosen safety,” Kutcher wrote via Instagram. “Through GoFundMe, this fundraiser will provide an immediate impact on refugee and humanitarian aid efforts.” [sendtonews type="float" key="Zx8jzXBbV2-2834326-14453"] Chmerkovskiy, for his part, was stuck in Ukraine working on the country’s version of World of Dance, when Russia first invaded. While the 42-year-old Dancing With the Stars alum was able to get back to the United States in early March, he and his brother, Val Chmerkovskiy, who are both from the eastern European nation, have been actively trying to help for their people. “My parents fled this country for this exact reason,” Val, 35, wrote via Instagram Story in February. “Not because it wasn’t good to them, but because their kids would see war eventually. It’s a cruel irony that 28 years later my brother is in a bomb shelter in [Kyiv]. If they hadn’t left I would be on the front lines defending my home right now.” The two-time DWTS winner added: “And the most heartbreaking thing of all, I would be either killing or dying at the hands of my fellow brothers. The Russian people don’t want this!! We stood by each others’ side. We loved and celebrated one another. I speak Russian, yes, but make no mistake I am a proud Ukrainian and now the world will finally know the difference.” Scroll down to see how Ukrainian stars are working toward peace in the Ukraine: [podcast_block]

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Mila Kunis

The Black Swan actress created a GoFundMe page with her husband on March 3 to help raise funds to impact the refugee and humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. The couple said they would $3 million to benefit Flexport and AirBnB, which are two organizations that are assisting in providing housing and supplies to those who have fled to safety in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova.

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Maksim Chmerkovskiy

After safely returning to the U.S. from Ukraine in early March, the Ukrainian dancer vowed to return to his home country to help with the war effort. “I spent the last couple of days with survivor’s remorse,” he told CNN on March 7. “And I’m currently working on an opportunity to go back. Probably sometime next week I’m going to go back to Poland and joining efforts on the ground. Sort of want to justify my safe out that way.”

The professional dancer also pledged to help victims of the war with the help of the nonprofit CORE. He explained via Instagram that the organization is “coordinating with international and local partners to assess the needs of border towns, beginning in Poland, and support the immediate needs of people fleeing Ukraine.” Maks added: “We will be focusing on supplying refugees with cash grants to support their resettlement.”

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Wladimir Klitschko

The former heavyweight champion, 45, enlisted in the Ukraine army reserves in February to help defend his country alongside brother Vitali Klitschko. Wladimir released a joint video statement with his older brother on February 24, calling for “all international partners to observe this tragedy that is happening nowadays in Ukraine, and this senseless war that is not going to have any winners, but losers.”

The athlete, who shares 7-year-old daughter Kaya with ex-fiancée Hayden Panettiere, continued: “I just want to tell you we must stay united, against … Russian aggression. Don’t let it … continue happening in Ukraine, don’t let it happen in Europe, and eventually in the world. United we’re strong. Support Ukraine.”

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Val Chmerkovskiy

The DWTS pro turned his and brother Maks’ annual Dance With Me Regionals event on March 3 into a fundraiser for Ukraine. “This is supposed to be a fun event and it will be an incredibly fun event, fun day, festive day, festive week, but obviously we can’t ignore some challenging times that are happening on the other side of the world,” Val said at the showcase. “They are affecting my family immediately but also a lot of my peers, a lot of my friends and us as human beings in general. We all have to be empathetic to all struggles, not just the ones that touch us personally.”

He explained that the proceeds from the event, including of his performances would go toward Ukrainian refugees, especially those in the dance community. Val has since promoted his family’s humanitarian aid organization, Baranova27, which is working toward getting aid to his home country by sending necessary supplies overseas.

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Milla Jovovich

The 46-year-old Kyiv, Ukraine native has pinned a document filled with links to international assistance funds, including the Return Alive Foundation, and reliable news outlets amid the war to her Instagram profile. Jovovich also spoke out about the horror and pain she feels as her homeland is under siege.

“I am heartbroken and dumbstruck trying to process the events of this week in my birthplace of Ukraine. My country and people being bombed. Friends and family in hiding. My blood and my roots come from both Russia and Ukraine,” the Resident Evil actress wrote via Instagram on February 25. “I am torn in two as I watch the horror unfolding, the country being destroyed, families being displaced, their whole life lying in charred fragments around them. I remember the war in my father’s homeland of former Yugoslavia and the stories my family tells of the trauma and terror they experienced. War. Always war. Leaders who cannot bring peace. The never ending juggernaut of imperialism. And always, the people pay in bloodshed and tears.”

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Vitali Klitschko

The former professional boxer and current mayor of Kyiv has been vocal about not standing down amid the attack on his country. “I am very proud to see how patriotic people are,” Vitali told CNN last month. “We’re not interested in how strong the Russian army is, we’re ready to fight.”

Vitali has stood by his people from the start of the invasion, taking up arms as a soldier ready to defend his city. “And we’re ready to die for our home country and for our families, because it’s our home. It’s our future and somebody wants to come to our home and steal our future from us,” he added.

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Vera Farmiga

The Bates Motel alum, who was born to Ukrainian parents, has been showing solidarity with the country since late February. She has shared messages of hope, including a snippet of Ukraine’s national anthem on social media, with her followers. Farmiga, 48, has a list of helpful links on her Instagram profile to assist anyone looking for legitimate places to send money or items amid the turmoil in Europe. The resources include donation sites for helmets and vests for the Ukrainian people and hospital support sites.

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Oksana Baiul

The Ukrainian Olympian helped organize a peace rally in Las Vegas before calling for the U.S. to help get Ukrainian athletes out of the war zone and to safety. The 44-year-old former ice skater told Newsmax on March 6, "We've got to save Ukrainian figure skaters from being killed by the Russians and get them over here.”

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Karina Smirnoff

The Kharkiv, Ukraine native asked for help via social media on February 25 while sharing photos from the scary scene in the European country. “How can this be happening? I’m heartbroken and sooo angry,” the DTWS pro, 44, wrote via Instagram. “This is just UNFAIR AND EVIL. #saveukraine #stopthewar #birthplace #ukrainianborn #help #PLEASEHELP.” She also provided her followers with different humanitarian organizations to donate to amid the ongoing crisis.