Steven Seagal Given 'Friendship Award' By Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday awarded actor Steven Seagal with the state Order of Friendship, according to CNN. The decree signed by Mr Putin cited what it called Seagal's "great contribution to the development of international cultural and humanitarian cooperation", the outlet further reported. In the decades since the height of his Hollywood fame, Mr Seagal has been an outspoken supporter of the Russian President, who granted the 70-year-old film star citizenship in 2016. He received a Russian passport from Mr Putin personally.

Mr Seagal has been serving as a special envoy of the Russian Foreign Ministry for humanitarian relations with the US and Japan since 2018.

The former action star has supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He had also backed Mr Putin's decision to annex Crimea in 2014.

In an interview on Russian television last year he spoke of an existential threat to Russia from Ukraine, according to CNN report.

Last August, Mr Seagal visited the eastern Ukraine region of Donetsk, including the destroyed Olenivka detention centre where dozens of Ukrainian prisoners were reported to have died.

Supporters of Kremlin's actions praised Mr Seagal for visiting the area, but other observers criticised him, pointing out that Seagal's visit had included a stop at the Olenivka prison, where at least 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war are believed to have been killed.

Ukraine and Moscow traded blame for an attack on the facility last July.

Like Steven Seagal, Rex Tillerson, the former US Secretary of State and CEO of ExxonMobil, as well as current FIFA president Gianni Infantino are among notable foreigners to have also received the award.