Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev calls on Putin to end Ukraine 'carnage'
Renowned Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev used his moment in the global spotlight on Saturday to issue a blistering, direct appeal to Vladimir Putin to halt the war in Ukraine.
- Cinema
- AFP
- Published Date: 01:00 | 24 May 2026
Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev appealed to President Vladimir Putin to end the invasion of Ukraine Saturday after his new movie set during the war came runner-up at the Cannes Film Festival.
"Millions of people on both sides of the line of contact now dream of only one thing: that the massacres finally stop," he said in his acceptance speech.
"And the only person who can put an end to this meat grinder is you... put a stop to this carnage, the whole world is waiting for this."