Ukraine hits out at White Lotus makers for casting pro-Putin actor

Ukraine has slammed HBO for casting a pro-Putin actor who was given a medal of honor from the despot himself for his companies to the humanities, and has persistently supported his invasive actions towards Ukraine and Crimea. 

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs boldly known as HBO out for its resolution to solid Serbian actor Miloš Biković within the upcoming third season of its hit present, The White Lotus, asking the community: ‘Dear HBO, do you actually assist genocide?’

The ministry printed a video displaying Biković, 36, shaking Vladimir Putin‘s hand at a ceremony the place he was handed a prime cultural prize.

He was handed the Pushkin medal, awarded to each Russian residents and foreigners for achievements within the arts and tradition, schooling, humanities and literature, in 2018 at a ceremony held on the Kremlin, and was awarded Russian citizenship in 2021. 

Biković, a twin Serbian and Russian citizen, stated on the time: ‘It is a good honour to say as we speak: Russia is my homeland.’

He added that he was ‘an lively member of Russian society.’

A graduate of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts on the University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia, Biković has virtually solely starred in dozens of Russian or Serbian TV, movie and theatre productions over his 20-year profession.

His function within the White Lotus, created, written and directed by Mike White, and govt produced by White, David Bernad and Mark Kamine, can be Biković’s first in a Western manufacturing.

He is represented by Chris Prapha and Deanna Russo Clark at Artist International Group and Marina Leonova at SV Casting in Russia. 

AFP reported that Biković claimed in 2019 that he was banned from coming into Ukraine for nationwide safety causes. Ukraine claims that he assist’s Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and stated he has filmed TV reveals in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Putin’s forces in 2014. 

A resurfaced clip confirmed Biković telling a reporter that he supported the annexation. He stated in response to a broad query about Crimea: ‘It differs from the truth that Russians dwell there.’

Asked whether or not this was sufficient of a cause Russia to ‘take it away and assign it to itself,’ the actor stated: ‘[Crimeans] do it themselves, because the referendum.’ 

Biković referred to a closely disputed referendum that came about after Russia invaded Crimea, previously part of Ukraine that was largely autonomous from the nation. 

Russian forces seized key cities throughout Crimea in late February 2014, following pro-Russian demonstrations that led to the ousting of then-president Viktor Yanukovych. 

The referendum, run after Russian forces had arrived, formally resulted in a 97% vote in favor of integration with mainland Russia, based mostly on a claimed voter turnout of 83%. 

But worldwide observers stated the referendum, used to formally justify the formal annexation of Crimea on March 18 2014, simply two days after the referendum, was massively rigged. 

Military observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which helps monitor elections the world over to make sure their validity, stated they have been pressured to show away from Crimea after Russian forces fired warning pictures at them. 

The UN additionally closely criticised Russia on the time for encouraging the presence of paramilitaries and unidentifiable troopers round election cubicles. 

An American official stated on the time that there was ‘concrete proof’ that ballots within the referendum arrived pre-marked. 

Just eight years later, Russia used an identical declare of defending ethnic Russians as justification for invading the remainder of Ukraine. 

MailOnline has contacted HBO and Biković’s brokers at Artist International Group for remark.