War in Ukraine: why will Alain Delon be decorated with the Order of Merit by Volodymyr Zelensky ?

On the TV5 Monde set, Vadym Omelchenko spoke directly to the actor. MAXPPP

Invited by TV5Monde on the set of  "Face aux Territoires" On April 18, 2024, the Ambassador of Ukraine to France, Vadym Omelchenko announced that Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian President, was awarding the Order of Merit to actor Alain Delon.

This is the highest Ukrainian distinction. Rarely awarded, this decoration is unique because it was given to a foreigner.

An important symbol

On the TV5Monde set, the Ukrainian ambassador to France declared that the Cheetah, now 88 years old, would receive from Volodymyr Zelensky, the ;rsquo;Ukrainian Order of Merit, for his support to the country since the Russian invasion.

"Since the first day of the war, Delon s’has been very vocal in support of Ukraine. For us, it’s a symbol, it’s important", we explained at the embassy, ​​recalling that the actor had participated in 2022 in an exchange with President Volodymyr Zelensky, and that he had also read texts from the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko during a television show.

L’ambassadeur d’Ukraine en France Vadym Omelchenko annonce en direct à @viguier_cyril sur @TV5MONDE que le Président Volodymyr Zelensky @zelenskyyua décerne la « l’ordre du mérite Ukrainien  » à Alain Delon. Un geste rarissime et inédit à l’égard d’un étranger. pic.twitter.com/0QBTxDMr30

— TV5MONDE PRO (@TV5MONDE_pro) April 18, 2024

"Me and my people, we are always at your side"

On the set of TV5 Monde, Vadym Omelchenko spoke directly to the actor. "Mr. Delon, dear Alain, I know that you are in a not very simple situation, and I want to tell you that you are not alone. You have many admirers and people who love you. Me and my people are always on your side", he said.

Alain Delon, 88 years old, sacred monster of French cinema, is seriously ill and at the heart of a fratricidal war between his three children, each claiming to want to protect him. He was placed under curatorship by the courts.

From the start of the massive invasion of Ukraine by Moscow's troops, in February 2022, he announced his support for Kiev.