Putin’s ‘Friendship Award’ for Hollywood Star Steven Seagal

Hollywood actor Steven Seagal was awarded the state Order of Friendship by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, reported CNN. The decree signed by President Putin stated that Seagal’s “great contribution to the development of international cultural and humanitarian cooperation” was honoured.

This former action star has supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also backed Putin’s decision to annex Crimea in 2014.

Although America and Russia always remained at loggerheads, Seagal remained an outspoken supporter of the Russian President. In 2016, this 70-year-old filmstar received a Russian passport from Putin personally.

Since 2018, Seagal is the special envoy of the Russian Foreign Ministry for humanitarian relations with the US and Japan.

In August 2022, Seagal visited the eastern Ukraine region of Donetsk. He also reached the destroyed Olenivka detention center where at least several Ukrainian prisoners were reported to have died.

Apart from Seagal, the former US Secretary of State and CEO of ExxonMobil, Rex Tillerson, and current FIFA president Gianni Infantino have also received the Order of Friendship award.