© 2026 ABC News

\"You're my hero,\" Stiller told Zelenskyy inside the presidential palace. \"You're amazing. You quit a great acting career for this.\"

\"Not so great as yours,\" Zelenskyy said back with a smile.

\"No, but pretty great,\" Stiller joked, putting his hand over his heart at times. \"But what you've done and the way that you've rallied the country and for the world, it's really inspiring.\"

Zelenskyy gushed at the compliment, saying, \"It's too much for me.\"

\"PHOTO:
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via Reuters
PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets with Hollywood actor and UN Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 20, 2022.
>

Stiller traveled to Ukraine \"to see the scale of destruction and hear firsthand from people who have directly experienced the impact of the war,\" the UNHCR said in a release, adding, \"These personal stories will enable Mr. Stiller to communicate the need for continued and increased support to the humanitarian response in Ukraine.\"

Ahead of his meeting with Zelenskyy and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Stiller visited occupied settlements around Kyiv and stopped earlier Monday in Irpin -- a town next to the capital that witnessed intense fighting early during the invasion. He and Karolina Lindholm Billing, the UNHCR representative in Ukraine, met with survivors of that occupation, according to a press release from Zelenskyy's office.

\"PHOTO:
Andrew McConnell/UNHCR via Reuters
PHOTO: Goodwill Ambassador actor Ben Stiller meets children at a UNHCR Protection Hub providing psycho-social support, SGBV prevention and response and child protection and legal aid services in Medyka, Poland, June 18, 2022.
>

\"It's one thing to see this destruction on TV or on social networks. Another thing is to see it all with your own eyes. That's a lot more shocking,\" Stiller told Zelenskyy.

\"What you saw in Irpin is definitely dreadful,\" the Ukrainian president replied. \"But it is even worse to just imagine what is happening in the settlements that are still under temporary occupation in the east.\"

In Irpin, the bodies of 290 victims, with a disproportionate number of women, were recovered after Russian forces inflicted a month of terror, the BBC reported.

And in the east, Russian forces have used long-range artillery to assail cities in the Donbas region, which Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to control.

\"PHOTO:
Andrew McConnell/UNCHR via Reuters
PHOTO: Hollywood Actor and Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller walks with UNHCR Regional Public Information Officer Natalia Prokopchuk past a damaged building as he visits the Lypki neighbourhood in Irpin, Ukraine, in this photo released June 20, 2022.
>

Since Putin launched his invasion in late February, between 8 and 12 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine, according to data from the UNHCR. Roughly half have fled to neighboring Poland, which Stiller visited Sunday, seeking to spread awareness of the needs of the refugee crisis.

ABC News' Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/International/ben-stiller-meets-volodymyr-zelenskyy-ukraine-world-refugee/story?id=85517989","legacySlug":"/news/story/ben-stiller-meets-volodymyr-zelenskyy-ukraine-world-refugee-85517989","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"00:18","publishDate":"06-21-2022","updatedTime":"00:54","updatedDate":"06-21-2022","socialImage":{"alt":"This handout picture taken and released by Ukrainian President Press Service on June 20, 2022, shows Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcoming actor and UN Goodwill Envoy Ben Stiller during their meeting in Kyiv.","credit":"Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via AFP via Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/ben-stiller-kyiv-zelenskyy-ukraine-gty-jt-220620_1655768384707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"6/21/2022 00:18:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":85517989,"headline":"Ben Stiller meets Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine","mediaAssetTitle":"BEN STILLER","description":"The actor visited Ukraine as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations.","duration":"1:13","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/06/220620_vod_stiller_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132488083","132306053","132266872"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 29, 2026","headline":"Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","section":"News","slug":"/video/132488083","id":"132488083","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Ben Stiller meets Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine","description":"The actor visited Ukraine as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations.","duration":"1:13","uploadDate":"06-21-2022","publication":"06-21-2022","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/06/220620_vod_stiller_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/06/220620_vod_stiller_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/ben-stiller-meets-volodymyr-zelenskyy-ukraine-world-refugee-85517989"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132714218","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132701634","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132706335","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132675442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132665875","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132628890","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132569874","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132567885","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132510121","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Ben Stiller meets Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine","pubTime":"20:18","pubDate":"06-20-2022","modTime":"20:54","modDate":"06-20-2022","taxonomyTags":"none","id":85517989,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Ben Stiller meets Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine","mediaAssetTitle":"BEN STILLER","videoId":85517989,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/ben-stiller-meets-volodymyr-zelenskyy-ukraine-world-refugee-85517989"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/85517989","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/85517989","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};