A traditional shirt worn by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Vyshyvanka Day, an annual holiday in May to celebrate the country's folk history, sold for $100,000 at an auction recently, Newsweek reported.
An individual bought the shirt Friday at a United24 charity event in Washington, D.C. The money gained is set to aid Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia.
Zelenskyy addressed attendees through a video at the event in the Ukraine House cultural center, asking them to support the United24 initiative he established "as the main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine."
"Ruins are all that Russians leave behind," the Ukrainian leader said. "But people need to go back somewhere — right now, today. That's why I initiated the special United24 platform."
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Fedorov, a member of the organization, also spoke to attendees stressing that it raised a shocking $24 million in four weeks.
"The largest number of donors is from the United States, Fedorov said. "We received donations ranging from $20 to $1,000. And every dollar counts."
The news comes as the U.S. revealed Monday that Russia is stealing Ukraine's grain exports and selling them to "blackmail" the country, according to Radio France Internationale.
"There are credible reports," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a conference regarding food security, "that Russia is pilfering Ukraine's grain exports to sell for its own profit.
"Right now, a Russian naval blockade in the Black Sea is preventing Ukraine's crops from being shipped to their normal destinations," he added.
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