Putin Grants Russian Citizenship to US Actor Steven Seagal

• 11.07.2016, 14:12
•  World

AFP

US actor Steven Seagal has been given Russian citizenship, the Kremlin says.

President Putin signed a decree to make the award to the martial arts expert, who starred in Hollywood action thrillers during the 1990s.

Seagal is friends with Mr Putin, who he has described as "one of the greatest world leaders", - BBC reported.

Putin's spokesman said Seagal was known for his warm feelings towards Russia and his status of a famous actor was a reason to make him a citizen.

Seagal in turn expressed his "gratitude" for the "opportunity" telling he always felt that USA and Russia should be best friends and allies.

Seagal is the latest in a string of high-profile Westerners to be granted Russian citizenship after buddying up with Putin.

Putin has also handed out citizenship to American boxer Roy Jones Jr after sipping tea with him in Crimea and to American mixed martial artist Jeff Monson.

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 - Daily Mail wrote.

The actor has repeatedly said that he does not like the tax policy of French authorities and that in Russia it feels much better.

Another famous French actress and animal advocate Brigitte Bardot said she also would ask for Russian citizenship as Lyon zoo owners killed two elephants by euthanasia. "I want to escape from France, from a country that has turned into a graveyard for animals," said cinema legend Bardot.

All of these incidents caused worries  in the West, where they urged people not to get engaged in the Russian propaganda, which used "stars" just as a tool.

According to experts, this is a practice that was actively used by both sides during the Cold War. That is well known celebrities are usually used to influence  large numbers of people.