Sean Penn says Putin knows more English than he lets on

• Sean Penn reflected on his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2001 at the Moscow Film Festival, following the premiere of his film The Pledge.
• Penn, along with Jack Nicholson, dined with Putin, recalling that they discussed fatherhood, and Penn initially felt a sense of trust, later admitting he was 'conned'.
• He noted that Putin 'clearly speaks and understands more English than he lets on', attributing it to his KGB background.
• Penn has become a prominent supporter of Ukraine and an outspoken critic of Putin since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
• As a result of his support for Ukraine, Sean Penn has been permanently banned from entering Russia.

IN FULL

Sean Penn says he was ‘conned’ by Putin in first meeting: ‘We talked about fatherhood’