Putin decorates American actor Steven Seagal

The separation of the Order of Friendship for American Actor was announced via the Russian Government website. This order honours citizens Russia considers to have contributed to the improvement of international relations.

Seagal has been a vocal supporter of the Crimea annexation from Russia in 2014. He had visited the Ukrainian city of Olenivca under Russian control last year. In this city dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war have reportedly been killed in an attack that Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for.

In 2018, Seagal was appointed by the Russian Foreign Ministry as a humanitarian envoy to the United States and Japan.