Steven Seagal honored by Vladimir Putin with ‘Friendship’ recognition

Russian president Vladimir Putin honored martial arts star Steven Seagal with the Order of Friendship recognition.

The decree credited the “On Deadly Ground” actor, who holds Russian and U.S. citizenship, for his “great contribution to the development of international cultural and humanitarian cooperation,” according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

Seagal, 70, told Fox Nation in March 2022 he sees Russia and Ukraine as “one family” and blamed foreign interference for the war that began when Putin’s troops invaded its independent neighbor days earlier.

Ukraine prohibited Seagal from entering the country in 2017 because it considers him a security risk.

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs made Seagal, a Michigan native, a “special representative” between the U.S. and Russia in 2018. He reportedly spent his 70th birthday in Moscow surrounded by Russian state media propagandists he called “family” and “friends” in 2022.

In addition to their friendship, Putin and Seagal share an interest in martial arts. Seagal holds a seventh-degree black belt in aikido. Putin held an honorary black belt from World Taekwondo and was the honorary president of the International Judo Federation prior to his attack on Ukraine. Both organizations quickly distanced themselves from the 70-year-old strongman leader.

Action star Charlize Theron is famously unimpressed by Seagal’s combat skills. During a 2020 visit to the Howard Stern Show, Theron said she studied martial artists on tape while filming “The Old Guard” and felt Seagal was an out-of-shape man simply “pushing people.”

“He’s overweight and can barely fight,” She said. “Look it up. It’s ridiculous.”

Seagal was considered for the leading role in 1989′s “Batman,” which went to Michael Keaton, according to the film’s screenwriter. Seagal was granted Russian citizenship in 2016.

With News Wire Services