MOSCOW – Russia has appointed the US actor Steven Seagal as a special envoy to improve ties with the United States.
President Vladimir Putin presented a Russian passport to US actor Steven Seagal in 2016, saying he hoped it would serve as a symbol of how fractious ties between Moscow and Washington were starting to improve.
Born in the US, the martial arts star gained international fame for roles in the 1980s and ’90s like Under Siege.
Since 2016, US-Russia relations have only got worse however with US intelligence agencies accusing Moscow of interfering in Donald Trump’s White House run, an allegation Russia denies. The two countries are also at odds over Syria and Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry likened Seagal’s new role to that of a UN goodwill ambassador and said that the actor, who is known for his martial arts prowess, would receive no salary.
“It’s a case of people’s diplomacy intersecting with traditional diplomacy,” the ministry said.
Seagal, who sometimes appears on Russian state TV to talk about his views and career, was cited by Kremlin-backed TV station RT as welcoming the appointment.
“I’ve always had a very strong desire to do all I can to help improve Russian-American relations,” RT cited Seagal as saying. “I have worked tirelessly in this direction for many years unofficially and I am now very grateful for the opportunity to do the same thing officially.”
For more than a decade Seagal, who according to his own website is 66, has been a regular visitor to Russia. He is also one of the Hollywood stars accused by several women of sexual misconduct in the wake of the #MeToo campaign, which he has denied.
https://twitter.com/RusEmbUSA/status/1025845634811809792
The Russian foreign ministry made the announcement on its official Facebook page, saying the unpaid position was similar to that of a United Nations’ goodwill ambassador and Seagal would promote US-Russia relations “in the humanitarian sphere”.
The Flight of Fury star, still popular with Russian audiences, has recently defended the Russian government over claims that it meddled in 2016 US elections.
Seagal was also granted Serbian citizenship in 2016, following several visits to the Balkan country.
