French Actor Gerard Depardieu Blacklisted in Ukraine
PARIS, July 21, 2015 — (UPI) — French entertainer Gerard Depardieu has been officially listed as a “national security threat” to Ukraine in light of his vocal support of Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
According to reports by Ouest France and Russian periodical Vesti, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture will enforce an active ban of any of Depardieu’s images, films and other media from being circulated within the country.
He reportedly joins a lengthy list of about 600 entertainers and artists.
Born in France, the 66-year-old actor claimed Russian citizenship in 2013 and has been known to voice his love for Putin in the past. He has also angered Ukrainians for expressing his belief that the country is part of Russia at a film festival last August, France 24 reports.
At yet another film festival in Moscow just a year before that, Depardieu said, “I do not really like presidents, I like men. Putin is very strong. Russia needs this man. God bless his soul.”
The Local reports that Depardieu, who was given a Russian passport by Putin, is listed as residing in the Russian town of Saransk with the peculiar address of No.1, Democracy St.
