Putin gives Steven Seagal Russia’s Order of Friendship

Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly honoring Steven Seagal with an award for the “Under Siege” actor’s support of the country.

Seagal was presented with the Order of Friendship, multiple news outlets reported on Monday, citing the Russian government’s internet portal.

The award was created in 1994 to “encourage citizens for activities aimed at ensuring the well-being, prosperity and security of Russia.”

The 70-year-old former action star, who was granted Russian citizenship by Putin in 2016, was also appointed as Russia’s special envoy to the United States in 2018.

The honor came on the heels of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Seagal, who was born in Michigan, supported Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, a peninsula in the south of Ukraine. Last year, he was seen in Russian state-owned TV network footage visiting a destroyed Ukrainian prison.