Daryl Hannah makes rare political statement at Oscars after Trump and Zelensky spat

‘Kill Bill’ actor opened presenting segment with pro-Ukraine phrase

Daryl Hannah voiced her support for Ukraine at the Oscars in a rare political statement following Friday’s disastrous meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump and his deputy JD Vance.

The Oscars ceremony on Sunday night (2 March) was largely devoid of politics until the Kill Bill actor went off-script when she arrived onstage to present the award for Best Film Editing.

As she approached the microphone, she made peace signs with her hands and calmly said: “Slava Ukraine.”

The phrase, which means “Glory to Ukraine,” has been a patriotic battle cry among Ukrainians for generations.

Hannah received huge applause from the audience in response, before returning to the topic of editing, stating: “The real total badasses in movies are the editors.”

The actor wore a halfway unbuttoned white silk top, which revealed a black bustier underneath. She paired the look with black bell-bottom trousers and had her signature blonde locks hanging loose over her shoulders.

She presented the award for best editing to Anora, which was the evening’s big winner, taking home five trophies in total, including Best Picture.

Hannah’s pro-Ukraine remark comes days after President Donald Trump and JD Vance’s bitter clash with Ukrainian leader Zelensky at the White House, which descended into a furious shouting match, ending with the Ukrainian president leaving without having signed a deal pivotal to securing US help in ending the war with Russia.

Daryl Hannah voiced her support for Ukraine onstage at the Oscars (Getty Images)

Trump and Vance angrily accused the Ukrainian leader of gambling with a third world war, claiming he was “disrespectful” and “ungrateful”.

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The exchange prompted an outpouring of support for Zelensky from Western leaders, including Keir Starmer, who said Ukraine had his “unwavering support”. French president Emmanuel Macron, outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz and his successor Friedrich Merz were also among those to back the Ukrainian leader, as was Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who said Mr Zelensky was “never alone”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US president Trump clashed during a meeting at the White House on Friday (AFP via Getty Images)

At the Oscars, Anora took home Best Picture, and awards for Best Director (for Sean Baker), Best Actress (for Madison), Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.

The film stars 25-year-old Mikey Madison as Anora, a New York stripper who embarks on a whirlwind romance with a wealthy Russian 21-year-old client named Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), who pays her to be his live-in girlfriend for one week.