Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's famous khaki fleece has been sold at a UK fundraising auction for 90,000 pounds ($110,000), the Telegraph reported. The jumper went for an astonishing amount at the Brave Ukraine fundraising event hosted by the Ukraine Embassy at the Tate Modern in London.
According to the report, the starting price of the garment was initially set at 50,000 pounds, however, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged prospective buyers to bid “much higher”. He asked people to dig deep and spend big, following which the hammer came down at almost double the price.
It is to mention that Mr Zelensky is known for his trademark green military fatigues. He was pictured touring besieged Kyiv in the khaki fleece.
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Coming back to the auction, Telegraph reported that the event boasted other lots as well, including a cockerel jug presented to Mr Johnson during his walkabout with Mr Zelensky in the Ukrainian capital. Also up for grabs was a guided tour of Kyiv by the city's mayor Vitali Klitschko.
During the event, Boris Johnson said: “Whether you are bidding for Volodymyr's fleece – a snip at £50,000, I want much higher bids than that, or you are bidding for a tour of Kyiv with Mayor Klitschko, I have had a tour of Kyiv with Mayor Klitschko, it's a beautiful city. Well worth it, dig deep.”
“Support Ukraine tonight my friends so that great ancient European capital Kyiv can never be threatened again, and that Ukraine can be whole and free once more,” he added, as quoted by Telegraph.
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In the same event, Mr Zelensky used the opportunity to publicly announced his thanks and praise for the United Kingdom's aid during the ongoing Russian invasion. Mr Johnson, on the other hand, stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not see victory over the public. He announced that Mr Putin will never break the spirit of Ukraine's people.
According to Telegraph, Downing Street has announced that the charity auction's predominant objective was to help raise necessary and life-saving funds to aid with humanitarian efforts following the Russian invasion.
