Actor Tim Allen has come out in a denunciation of Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it “the definition of wrong”.
The 68-year-old “Last Man Standing” star joined many other prominent figures in expressing their distaste for warmonger Putin, tweeting Thursday: “That’s the definition of wrong. My head, heart and soul pray for the people of Ukraine.”
“My mind and body are full of anger and disgust at Putin’s cowardly ghouls who attacked a sovereign country,” he wrote, ending with “Putin.”
On Saturday, the invasion went into day 10, and the situation for the Ukrainians became even more dire as Russia bombarded besieged towns and a humanitarian ceasefire allowing civilians to be evacuated was broken under Russian bombardment.
Actor Tim Allen (left) condemned Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it “the definition of wrong.”
The number of Ukrainians forced to leave their country as refugees has risen to 1.4 million. More than 350 civilians have been killed since the Russian invasion last week, according to the UN.
This is not the first time that Allen, known as Home Improvement, has commented on the unfolding crisis.
On February 24, he tweeted: “Pray if you want for everyone who was attacked by the Russians today.”
He also paraphrased a Winston Churchill quote he misattributed to Franklin D. Roosevelt: “Appeasement is the policy of feeding your friends to the crocodile one at a time, in the hope that the crocodile will eat you last.”
Allen is far from the only Hollywood star to speak out against Russia, and at the 28th Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards last week, Lady Gaga and Michael Douglas were among those who spoke out in support of Ukraine.
Several other performers, including SAG president Fran Drescher, used their speeches to discuss the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Michael Douglas wore a blue and yellow pocket square reminiscent of the Ukrainian flag to the SAG Awards. He pointed to a pocket square and said, “That’s not LA Rams.”
Actor and producer Tyler Perry with a ribbon in the colors of the Ukrainian flag arrived at the 28th annual ceremony of the Screen Actors Guild.
“First, I would like to offer prayers to the people of Ukraine,” Drescher, 64, best known for her television sitcom The Nanny, told the audience as she took the stage in the middle of the ceremony.
Her words were echoed by Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr., 40, who opened the annual awards ceremony by saying: “We keep a place in our hearts for Ukraine and send our thoughts, prayers and hopes to the coming peace. ‘
On Saturday, Ukraine’s leader made a “desperate” request to US lawmakers that the United States help get more military aircraft for his military and cut off Russian oil imports as Kyiv tries to prevent a Russian invasion.
President Volodymyr Zelensky began a private video call with US lawmakers, telling them that this might be the last time they see him alive. He remained in Kyiv, the capital, threatened from the north by a huge Russian armored column.
At a Zoom meeting with the US Congress, Zelensky reiterated his call for NATO to impose a no-fly zone over his country to weaken Russia’s air superiority and demanded tougher sanctions against Russia, including a ban on oil exports.
A view of settlements destroyed by recent shelling in the city of Irpen, northwest of Kyiv, on Saturday.
Currently, Russian troops are trying to encircle Kyiv and are moving forward in the northeast and southeast.
Appearing in what is now his signature army green shirt in front of a white wall with a Ukrainian flag, he told them that Ukraine must secure its skies, either through a NATO-imposed no-fly zone or by providing more combat aircraft so that Ukraine can it would be better to protect yourself.
Zelenskiy has been pleading for days for a no-fly zone, but NATO has refused, saying it could spark a full-scale war with nuclear-armed Russia.
The hour-long correspondence, involving about 300 members of Congress and their headquarters, took place as Russian troops continued to shell the besieged cities and the number of Ukrainians who fled the country rose to 1.4 million.
“President Zelensky has made a desperate statement,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
He said Zelenskiy wants the US to make it easier to transfer planes to Eastern European allies. “I will do everything in my power to help the administration facilitate their transfer,” Schumer said.