Current:Home > StocksUkraine’s Zelenskyy taps celebrities for roles as special adviser and charity ambassador-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy taps celebrities for roles as special adviser and charity ambassador
View Date:2024-12-23 22:54:38
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed former Ukrainian soccer great Andriy Shevchenko as a special adviser and British actor Mark Strong as an ambassador to the charity that the Ukrainian president set up to raise money for Ukraine, his office announced.
It was not clear what Shevchenko’s duties as adviser to the president would entail but the former star striker for Ukraine and squads across Europe suggested it would expand on his work as ambassador of United24, a charity created by Zelenskyy to collect donations for his nation after Russia’s invasion in 2022.
“My role hasn’t changed that much but I’m going to work even harder now,” he said after playing in an all-star golf match preceding the Ryder Cup outside Rome on Wednesday. “It’s an important job helping my country abroad through soccer and charity events and keeping people talking about Ukraine.”
Strong, who starred in the “Kingsman” movies, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “Deep State” TV show, was appointed as an ambassador of United24. Zelenskyy thanked him for his support of Ukraine since the invasion, according to the president’s website.
“It is an honor for me to become a voice for Ukrainian children on the world stage, so that they can have a better future,” Strong said.
The charity has raised $470 million from more than 110 countries, the president said. Other ambassadors include Barbra Streisand, actors Liev Schreiber and Ivanna Sakhno, historian Timothy Snyder and business mogul Richard Branson.
Shevchenko started and ended his career with Dynamo Kyiv. He joined AC Milan in 1999, winning a series of trophies with the Serie A club, including UEFA Champions League in 2003. He won the Ballon d’Or the following year as Europe’s best football player.
In 2006, he signed with Chelsea for a then-British record fee of around 30 million pounds (now $31.7 million) and returned to Kyiv three years later after not living up to his reputation. He retired from playing in 2012 after a 17-year career and went on to coach the Ukraine national team.
Shevchenko spoke to reporters in Italian after playing in the match that included tennis great Novak Djokovic, fellow soccer player Gareth Bale and Formula One driver Carlos Sainz.
“As long as the war lasts I have to help in any way I can, because our people are really suffering,” Shevchenko said. “That’s my job.”
___ AP Sports Writer Andrew Dampf in Guidonia Montecelio, Italy, and Brian Melley in London contributed to this report.
veryGood! (4423)
Related
- Jordan Chiles Reveals She Still Has Bronze Medal in Emotional Update After 2024 Olympics Controversy
- Damar Hamlin gets first career interception in Bills' MNF game vs. Jaguars
- 71% Off Flash Deal: Get $154 Worth of Peter Thomas Roth Skincare for $43.98
- Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill joins fight for police reform after his detainment
- Reds honor Pete Rose with a 14-hour visitation at Great American Ball Park
- Michael Strahan Shares He's a Grandfather After Daughter Welcomes Son
- Southeast US under major storm warning as hurricane watch issued for parts of Cuba and Mexico
- Inside Octomom Nadya Suleman's Family World as a Mom of 14 Kids
- TikToker Campbell “Pookie” Puckett Gives Birth, Welcomes First Baby With Jett Puckett
- Damar Hamlin gets first career interception in Bills' MNF game vs. Jaguars
Ranking
- Patrick Mahomes Breaks Silence on Frustrating Robbery Amid Ongoing Investigation
- Motel 6 owner Blackstone sells chain to Indian hotel startup for $525 million
- QTM Community: The Revolutionary Force in Future Investing
- Vince McMahon criticizes 'Mr. McMahon' Netflix docuseries, calls it 'deceptive'
- Trump’s economic agenda for his second term is clouding the outlook for mortgage rates
- US Naval Academy says considering race in admissions helps create a cohesive military
- Keith Urban Shares Update on Nicole Kidman After Her Mom’s Death
- Emory Callahan Introduction
Recommendation
-
RHOBH's Kyle Richards Shares Reaction to BFF Teddi Mellencamp's Divorce
-
Kmart’s blue light fades to black with the shuttering of its last full-scale US store
-
Donna Kelce Reacts After Being Confused for Taylor Swift's Mom Andrea Swift
-
You may not know about the life of undefeated Mercury Morris. But you should.
-
The Masked Singer's Ice King Might Be a Jonas Brother
-
Judge rules out possibility of punitive damages in Smartmatic defamation lawsuit against Newsmax
-
Where Bravo's Craig Conover and Kyle Cooke Stand Today After Seltzer Feud
-
Halsey Shares Insight Into New Chapter With Fiancé Avan Jogia