Jamie McCarthy/Getty Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are stepping up to assist refugees forced to flee their homes in Ukraine as Russia invades the country.
The couple shared social media posts on Saturday pledging to match donations and encouraging their followers to pitch in and help Ukrainians displaced by the ongoing conflict, which escalated earlier this week.
Reynolds, 45, posted to Twitter promising to match donations up to $1 million. The Deadpool star retweeted a message from USA for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, writing, “In 48 hours, countless Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes to neighboring countries.”
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“They need protection. When you donate, we’ll match it up to $1,000,000, creating double the support,” he added with a link to the United Nations’ refugee donation website.
Lively, 34, shared a similar message on Instagram, where she re-posted an image from the UNHCR showing a child being held and reaching out to another person’s waiting arms.
“@vancityreynolds and I are doubling every dollar donated to @usaforunhcr up to $1,000,000 ????⬆️???? link in bio to donate,” Lively wrote in the caption.
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She continued, “@usaforunhcr is on the ground helping the 50,000+ Ukrainians who had to flee their homes in less than 48 hours. @usaforunhcr is providing life saving aid, and also working with neighboring countries to ensure protection for these families ????????.”
Lively and Reynolds’ donation pledge comes after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine earlier this week, according to the Ukraine government. The attack is still evolving, but explosions and airstrikes have been reported, with threats mounting against the capital, Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million people.
President Vladimir Putin’s aggression towards Ukraine has been widely condemned by the international community, including with economic sanctions and NATO troops massing in the region. Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the interest of so-called “peacekeeping.”
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
“The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces,” President Joe Biden said as the invasion appeared to begin in force this week.
The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE’s complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.
