Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken issue with HBO's decision to cast Serbian actor Milos Bikovic in the third season of The White Lotus, accusing him of supporting Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this month, HBO announced Bikovic's involvement in the dark comedy series, which portrays the lives of wealthy tourists at island resorts. Bikovic, The New York Timesnoted, was awarded the Pushkin Medal by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 and granted Russian citizenship in 2021. He faced Ukraine's national security ban in 2019.
The Ukrainian foreign ministry criticized HBO in a post on X, formerly Twitter, questioning the network's collaboration with Bikovic, stating:
“Miloš Biković, Serbian actor who has been supporting Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion, is now set to star in HBO’s The White Lotus Season 3…[HBO], is it all right for you to work with a person who supports genocide [and] violates international law?”
A 79-second video the agency included with its message juxtaposes scenes from The White Lotus with Bikovic receiving the aforementioned award from Putin, along with alleged comments supporting Russia.
Bikovic's acceptance speech for the Pushkin Medal emphasized unity between Russia and Serbia; at the time, he said that receiving the award is "a joy for Russians and Serbs in our homeland because we have the same worldview."
You can see the post and the video below.
Many echoed the agency's criticisms.
The United States has characterized Russia's invasion as genocide, and Ukraine's foreign ministry claims that Bikovic is "the Kremlin's foreign mouthpiece."
Despite efforts to reach Bikovic and Ukraine's foreign ministry for comment, they have not responded. An HBO spokesman directed inquiries to Bikovic's representatives.
The Serbian government came to Bikovic's defense, saying:
“We underline that the claims by the Ukrainian side are unfounded as Milos Bikovic is, above all, one of the most popular and the most talented Serbian actors of his generation who, despite his young age, has already left a mark in Serbian as well as international cinema.”
Season 3 of The White Lotus, set to begin production in Thailand next month and air in 2025, features an ensemble cast, including Walton Goggins, Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, and Natasha Rothwell.