In a recent development, Ukraine officials have taken issue with HBO's casting of Serbian actor Miloš Biković in Season 3 of the popular series "The White Lotus." The officials have accused Biković of being "the Kremlin's foreign mouthpiece" and supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The controversy arose after Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on social media, questioning the decision to work with an individual who allegedly supports genocide and violates international law. This criticism stems from Biković's public stance on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Following Russia's invasion in February 2022, Biković shared a poll indicating higher trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin compared to Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Biković, who has appeared in several Russian films including "Sunstroke" (2014), directed by Oscar winner Nikita Mikhalkov, reportedly filmed a movie in Crimea, the peninsula that was annexed by Russia in 2014. The actor was awarded Russian citizenship in 2021, stating his affinity with Russian culture.

In its social media post, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs attached a video that purportedly shows Biković receiving a medal of honor from Putin in 2018 for his contribution to Russian arts and culture. The video questions HBO's alignment with an individual accused of supporting the Russian invasion, directly asking the network if it supports genocide.

HBO and representatives for Biković have yet to comment on the matter when contacted by media outlets, including The Washington Post.

"The White Lotus" Season 3 cast was announced on January 12 and includes Miloš Biković, alongside other actors Christian Friedel, Morgana O'Reilly, Lek Patravadi, and Shalini Peiris. The upcoming season of the dark comedy anthology series, created by Mike White, will be set in Thailand and follows a new group of hotel guests. Filming is set to commence next month.

The previous installments of "The White Lotus" have garnered critical acclaim, with Season 1 set in Hawaii and Season 2 set in Sicily. Season 1 received 20 Emmy nominations and won 10 awards, the most for any series that year, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Season 2, which premiered in December 2022, collected 23 Emmy nominations, including one for Outstanding Drama Series.

As the debate surrounding the casting choice in HBO's "The White Lotus" continues, the network and the actor find themselves under scrutiny for their association with an individual accused of supporting the Russian invasion in Ukraine.