Famous British adventurer Bear Grylls has joined Ukraine’s fight against Russia, raising cash to help rebuild war-torn Kyiv apartments.
In a statement to POLITICO, Grylls said he was “proud” to be supporting the people of Ukraine, and added that he wanted to “support the millions of people who have had their lives torn apart by this war.”
Grylls — who recently met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv for a British TV documentary — also said that he knows from training experience that survivors develop a “quiet courage and resilience that becomes their character,” attributes which he sees in the Ukrainian people who have been under attack from a Russian assault for more than a year.
Grylls has become famous over the past two decades for starring in TV survival shows in which he defies brutal weather conditions, harsh environments, hunger and thirst.
Last week, he officially became an ambassador for the Rebuild Ukraine program, which aims to restore 18 apartment buildings in the Kyiv region. The project was launched by Zelenskyy’s fundraising platform United24.
Meeting Zelenskyy was “a true privilege,” Grylls said, saying the Ukrainian president has a “burning desire to do his best to defend his country and build a brighter future for Ukrainians.”
Aside from his United24 role, Grylls is also working on other projects to support Ukrainians, including developing an educational platform to provide free online courses focused on digital skills, employability and personal development, which is set to launch in July.
He joins various celebrities who have been recruited to support United24, including Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina, astronaut Scott Kelly, and “Star Wars” legend Mark Hamill, who told POLITICO in February that he was Zelenskyy’s “good soldier.”
