Skip to Content

Vladimir Putin signs a decree honoring US actor — and Russian citizen — Steven Seagal

<i>President of Russia/File</i><br/>Steven Seagal received Russian citizenship from Vladimir Putin in 2016.
President of Russia/File
Steven Seagal received Russian citizenship from Vladimir Putin in 2016.

By Uliana Pavlova, CNN

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to honor the American actor Steven Seagal with the state Order of Friendship.

The decree cited what it called Seagal’s “great contribution to the development of international cultural and humanitarian cooperation.”

Seagal has been a regular visitor to Russia and became a citizen of the country in 2016, when he received a Russian passport from Vladimir Putin personally. He has also worked as the Russian Foreign Ministry’s “special representative” to the United States and Japan.

The former action hero backed Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and has supported its invasion of Ukraine. He visited the occupied Donbas area last summer.

In an interview on Russian television last year he spoke of an existential threat to Russia from Ukraine.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - Europe/Mideast/Africa

Jump to comments ↓

CNN Newsource

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KTVZ NewsChannel 21 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content