Overview

• He recounted on Sept. 11 on Jimmy Kimmel Live that he initially felt a genuine rapport with Putin before concluding he had been misled.
• He said the dinner took place during the 2001 Moscow International Film Festival, with about 20 people at the table including Jack Nicholson.
• He recalled talking with Putin about fatherhood and said the conversation ran through an interpreter.
• He claimed Putin understands more English than he lets on and accused him of kidnapping tens of thousands of children and killing civilians in Ukraine while urging stronger U.S. support.
• His stance aligns with past actions, including the 2023 documentary Superpower on Paramount+, gifting an Oscar to President Zelenskyy, and his 2022 inclusion on Russia’s entry ban list.