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Orlando Bloom Meets President Zelensky in Kyiv

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky met with actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday, March 26.

The pair discussed the effects of the war on Ukrainian children as well as humanitarian efforts, according to the president’s office.

Bloom also visited a school in Irpin and met with families that were affected by the war, the organization said. Credit: Volodymyr Zelensky via Storyful

Video transcript

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Welcome.

ORLANDO BLOOM: Sir.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Thank you so much. Thanks for coming.

ORLANDO BLOOM: What an honor.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Honor for me, too.

ORLANDO BLOOM: Whatever you want is, uh--

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Nice meeting you.

ORLANDO BLOOM: I'm extremely-- such a [INAUDIBLE].

So encouraging, I mean, in so many ways, to see, just, the remarkably stoic nature of the people of Ukraine and, of course, your messaging that I think is reflected in their courage, and in their determination, and in their perseverance, and resilience is just-- it's, uh-- you know, it's h-- to see the children, to see in their eyes.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Yes.

ORLANDO BLOOM: It's palpable, the, uh, anxiety. And yet, the strength of the Ukrainian people is something that is really awe inspiring in truth. So it's-- and of course, you know, your messaging is the reason for that. So it's remarkable to see how you are, you know, holding this country and-- and, you know--

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: We all-- we have good country.

ORLANDO BLOOM: Well--

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: We hold each other.

ORLANDO BLOOM: Yes

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: And thank you very much for your coming and your messages. Because your coming is also a big message. And for us, it's very important.

ORLANDO BLOOM: Yeah, had an incredible experience today. We met a family, Natalia and Yuri, two parents, who have five children of their own.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Yeah.

ORLANDO BLOOM: And they received--

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Have a house, yeah.

ORLANDO BLOOM: --they have a family house, but they took four more children, four more children--

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: That's incredible people.

ORLANDO BLOOM: --unbelievable people, took four more children, each, they're siblings, took them into their home. They feed them. They take them to school. These children are not well. They have medica-- medical needs. That's the future for-- hopefully, that is the kind of future for children who need, who are orphaned in this country. Because obviously, that's what UNICEF is advocating for, as opposed to institutionalized ways of raising children.

We had a very int-- a very-- I heard everything that was said today about the missing children and so on. And this is something that I think UNICEF is taking incredibly seriously, just as the rest of the world is watching. Of course, President-- of course, you know, he who shall not be mentioned was made a war criminal because of this.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Yeah.

ORLANDO BLOOM: And it's-- and it's so horrific what's going on. But I think that--

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: If we can create-- sorry for interrupting.

ORLANDO BLOOM: No, please.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: We can create our two teams jointly to create the points, steps, step by step, what to do, if we can work. Because, of course, informational wave about the children, how to bring them back and to do everything this infrastructure for children, educational network. And if we can prepare and then do big informational wave.

Because, you know, sometimes when they are=-- like, children, when they are waiting, you give straight messages that you will be at home. And then they begin to wait, but you don't have all facilities. And it's also will be big--

ORLANDO BLOOM: That's right

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: --not good kick for them. And that's why I think if we can work a little bit.

ORLANDO BLOOM: I visited [INAUDIBLE] today. There were two-- two bomb shelters within the school. Each could take about 300 to 500 children. And UNICEF has set them up.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Great.

ORLANDO BLOOM: And they look like the child-friendly space. It's light-- and it's the appropriate safe shelter for children in these circumstances. And I think that is a very important issue for UNICEF. And I certainly saw one today.

Um, I'm a member of a Buddhist organization since I'm 16. And my mentor is a Japanese man in Japan, a man named Daisakawa Kaeda. And in 1994, he wrote a message of encouragement to the youth of the UK. He wouldn't see them, but he sent this message.

This is an excerpt from the message that he sent to these children for them to listen to. He reserved himself from being there. But I wanted to read it because I feel it's so important. And I had it written for you as well to read along.

But it says, "The times are changing from an age where justice-- from an age where power is justice to an age in which justice is power. In this new age, the supreme guiding principle will be the benefit of all humanity, rather than the interests of one particular nation or ethnic group. We will see the transformation of history from the revolution of the external environment to that of the inner self, the inner human revolution.

It will be an age in which the actions of leaders will naturally be based on the guidelines of making all mothers happy. A great future lies ahead of you. You must fix your eyes on that future, never losing sight of your goal, even for one single moment. Centuries, tens of centuries, have waited for you to arrive and have been preparing for you.

You are the ones who have appeared now so mystically. Your victory would be the victory of humanism. Your defeat would be the defeat of hope. Hence, you must win in everything. 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, laughing scornfully? You have lost everything, they implied. The knight answered resolutely, holding his head high, My castle is in my heart."

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Cool.

ORLANDO BLOOM: You have a heart.

[LAUGHTER]

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Thank you so much.

ORLANDO BLOOM: You have a strong heart. And thank you for everything you do. So it's--

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Thank you so much.

ORLANDO BLOOM: --I wanted to give this to you.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: OK, great.

ORLANDO BLOOM: It's, um-- it's written here in, uh-- it's written there. I used to read this every day.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Ah

ORLANDO BLOOM: It's written for you.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Ukraine--

ORLANDO BLOOM: Yeah, yeah.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: --the Ukrainian language.

ORLANDO BLOOM: I had it translated. But i--

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Thank you so much.

ORLANDO BLOOM: --I used to read it when I was a child, just to try and give myself the courage as well. But--

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Daisakawa Kaeda.

ORLANDO BLOOM: Daisakawa Kaeda, yeah.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Thank you so much. Great honor, thank you so much.

ORLANDO BLOOM: You so much, man. What a pleasure.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: [INAUDIBLE]. Thank you. [INAUDIBLE].

- Thank you.

ORLANDO BLOOM: Thank you.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Thank you. Thank you. Good luck, peace, and come back.

ORLANDO BLOOM: Oh, good luck. Bonne chance.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: [INAUDIBLE]

ORLANDO BLOOM: Gotta win. [INAUDIBLE] Ukraine. By the way, if I could show you a video that my mother wrote, you would see--

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Yeah!

ORLANDO BLOOM: --my mother was on my phone. My mother sang the national-- the Ukrainian national anthem. She says, if you see Zelenskyy, tell him to win.

[LAUGHTER]

She sings-- she sings the national anthem in English.

[LAUGHTER]

[INAUDIBLE] she learned it. She's--

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Great.

ORLANDO BLOOM: But thank you.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Thanks so much. Thank you.