‘I am a proud Ukrainian’: Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher launch refugee fund and pledge $3m
Mila Kunis and husband Ashton Kutcher have set up a fund to support Ukrainian refugees, saying they will match donations of up to $3m (£2.25m).
Ukrainian-born actress Kunis, who left the country when she was seven years old, said that while she was a “proud American”, she had “never been more proud to be a Ukrainian”.
The Hollywood stars condemned the Russian invasion, saying there was “no place in this world for this kind of unjust attack on humanity”.
Ukraine invasion – Live updates
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world, with at least one million people fleeing the country since war began according to the United Nations refugee agency.
Speaking in a minute-and-a-half long video shared on social media, Kunis and Kutcher explained that money raised will be used to help supply food and shelter to Ukrainians trying to escape the bloodshed.
The GoFundMe page says it will “support a relief effort that will have immediate impact and supply much needed refugee and humanitarian aid to the area”.
Kutcher explained: “The principal challenge right now is logistics. We need to get housing and we need to get supplies and resources into the area.”
Kunis urged: “Donate what you can. The people of Ukraine are strong and brave but being strong and brave doesn’t mean you’re not worthy of support. We need to support the people of Ukraine. Please help us.”
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The couple will match up to $3 million (£2.25m) worth of donations to Airbnb.org and Flexport.org.
The appeal – which has a target of $30m – has already raised more than $3m.
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Kunis was born in 1983 in Chernivtsi, in western Ukraine, to a teacher mother and engineer father. She has one elder brother. In 1991 the family moved to Los Angeles to seek a better life.
Fellow Hollywood power couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively also previously pledged to match donations up to $1m (£750,000) to humanitarian charity US For UNHCR to help citizens displaced by the conflict.
