The organisers and executives at the Academy Awards of the Oscars, set to take place on Sunday 12 March, have declined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to address this year’s ceremony.

Since Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine last February, Zelensky has given high-profile speeches at awards ceremonies including the 2022 Grammy Awards and the Golden Globes in January.

Most recently, Zelensky addressed the attendees of the Berlin Film Festival, where Sean Penn’s film about his leadership during the war, Superpower, was first screened.