Moscow (AFP) – President Vladimir Putin signed off Thursday on a decree granting Russian citizenship to US action hero actor Steven Seagal, the latest high-profile passport handout to a Western celebrity.
Hollywood star Seagal and judo-loving Kremlin tough guy Putin have struck up a bromance in recent years, with Seagal visiting Russia repeatedly and defending Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
“He was asking quite insistently and over a lengthy period to be granted citizenship,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
“He is well known for his warm feelings towards our country and has never hidden them.”
Seagal is the latest in a string of high-profile Westerners to be granted Russian citizenship after buddying up with Putin.
Veteran French actor Gerard Depardieu was given a Russian passport in 2013 after the star became a tax exile in ire over rate hikes in his native country.
Putin has also handed out citizenship to US boxer Roy Jones Jr after sipping tea with him in Crimea and to American mixed martial artist Jeff Monson.
Seagal’s fame peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s with films such as “Under Siege” and “Above the Law”, but he remains hugely popular in eastern Europe and was granted Serbian citizenship in January.
Like Depardieu, he has previously hung out with Putin, a fellow martial arts fan, and other strongmen leaders from the former Soviet Union.
After Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Seagal called Putin “one of the great living world leaders” and even performed with his blues band in the annexed Black Sea peninsula.
In August, veteran Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko made Seagal eat one of his homegrown carrots in an awkward encounter that drew mockery online.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/putin-grants-action-star-steven-seagal-russian-citizenship-101618186.html
“You will agree with everything or I’ll give you a karate chop! It ain’t quite as good as a pork chop but slather some gravy on it and you wouldn’t believe what people will swallow.
Steven Seagal, what a chump! He must be Katie Seagal’s sister. lol A fresh, steaming pile! “Hey Al, give it a break!”
No kidding
Next he will be “running for office” some where of something
Ugh
Porkchop on a string might keep him busy for a while
Steven Seagal trying to play politics. Amazing he can get so close to Putin. In addition to that, Stevie needs to understand that if he wants Russian citizenship, he better give up US citizenship. No more dual citizenship crap.
“He was asking quite insistently and over a lengthy period to be granted citizenship,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.”
Think he knows something?
Something that makes him feel safer in Russia than here?
Yea, I was thinking the same thing.
Gotta wonder.
Especially since he can afford to live anywhere he chooses.
Yep. He even has enough influence to bribe Putin. Strange.
Segal is a copsucker , a wannabe ..and possibly the reason he wants into the political arena is.. he just might be a pedophile
THJAT “RUSSIAN CITIXEN” NEEDS TO GET THE HELL OUTTA MY COUNTRY……………………