Sergey Guneev / Sputnik via AP
Steven Seagal launched into an anti-Ukraine rant at the Kremlin on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded the actor Russia’s Order of Friendship.
According to a presidential decree, Seagal was awarded the Russian honor for his “big contribution to development of international cultural and humanitarian cooperation.” Once known for starring in hit action movies like Under Siege and Above the Law, Seagal is arguably better known today for being a close ally of Putin. The Russian president personally pinned him with the Order of Friendship on Thursday, and the actor attended Putin’s fifth inauguration earlier this month.
While speaking at the Kremlin, Seagal accused Ukraine of everything from “organ trafficking” to “human trafficking.” The actor, who is officially Russia’s “Foreign Ministry Special Representative on Humanitarian Ties,” has had a somewhat vague role in the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He previously popped up in video where he was being used as some kind of bomb expert by the Russian military, appearing at a
Seagal has also trained some Russian military recruits in hand-to-hand combat, specifically aikido, a self defense martial art that Seagal has long practiced. Seagal said last year that he’s now “one million percent Russian.”
“Before the special operation, Ukraine was known for human trafficking, organ trafficking, narco trafficking, child sex trafficking, biochemical warfare labs, fascism, and Nazism,” Seagal said, providing no evidence for his wild claims.
The actor claimed Russia tried to “make them our brothers” and warned World War III could be coming.
“Many people say we are facing an existential threat by all these conditions, but actually the whole world is at risk of becoming dangerously close to entering World War III,” he said.
Putin previously gave Seagal a Russian passport after the actor continually praised Putin and supported his annexation of Crimea. Ukraine banned him for five years following this with them calling the actor a threat to national security.
Seagal’s last notable award recognition was a Razzie nomination for the 2003 movie Half Past Dead. He also won the Worst Director Razzie Award in 1995 for On Deadly Ground.