THE MYSTERY OF Sean Penn’s non-appearance at the Oscars has been solved.

The veteran actor – who won his third Academy Award for his role as the villainous Colonel Steven J Lockjaw in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another – was not in attendance at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night, with no explanation given on stage for the no-show.

Presenting the Best Supporting Actor award, last year’s winner Kieran Culkin deadpanned that Penn “couldn’t be here this evening, or didn’t want to”, and accepted the award on his behalf.

Penn’s decision not to show up was perhaps not such a surprise – he’s been critical of the way the awards are run, saying in 2024 that the Academy had been part of “limiting the imagination and very limiting of different cultural expressions”.

Kyiv bound

It’s emerged that the Mystic River star had been travelling to Kyiv to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a show of support for Ukraine.

“It’s his personal visit; that’s how he sees it, that he needs to be in Ukraine,” a senior Ukrainian official told news wire AFP.

Penn, who co-directed a 2023 documentary about Zelenskyy, met the Ukrainian president yesterday.

“Sean, thanks to you, we know what a true friend of Ukraine is,” Zelenskyy said on social media, posting a picture of the pair meeting in the president’s office.

“You have stood with Ukraine since the first day of the full-scale war. This is still true today,” he added.

It’s understood Penn also plans to visit troops on Ukraine’s frontline. 

Sean, thanks to you, we know what a true friend of Ukraine is.
You have stood with Ukraine since the first day of the full-scale war.
This is still true today.
And we know that you will continue to stand with our country and our people. pic.twitter.com/wGneO1rqJI

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 16, 2026

Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne has also been visiting the Ukrainian capital as part of Ireland’s global diplomatic charm offensive this week. 

The Fianna Fáil TD spoke at the first official St Patrick’s Day reception in Ukraine since Ireland opened its embassy in 2021. 

Byrne told guests that Ireland’s commitment to Ukraine would underpin the work of the government during the upcoming presidency of the EU, which begins this summer.

“Ukraine’s destiny lies in the European Union. Ukrainians belong in the EU.  

“As European Affairs Minister and incoming chair of the General Affairs Council, I can assure you that I will do whatever I can, during our EU Presidency, to move the accession process forward,” Byrne said. 

Last night, we set aside an evening in Kyiv to mark St Patrick’s Day and recognise Irish-Ukrainian friendship 🇮🇪🤝🇺🇦🇪🇺

With Ambassador Jonathan Conlon, it was a privilege to welcome the small Irish community, and friends, to the first official St Patrick’s Day reception in Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/1LKCgOSUP9

— Thomas Byrne (@ThomasByrneTD) March 17, 2026

There’s been no word so far on whether the Meath TD crossed paths with Penn during his Kyiv trip. 

Zelenskyy is due in London today for a visit to Downing Street, where Britain and Ukraine are set to sign a defence partnership aimed at addressing the threat of low-cost drones.