Steven Seagal speaks out on Ukraine invasion

Action star Steven Seagal, who was personally given a Russian passport by Vladimir Putin, has expressed his take on the situation in Ukraine.

Action star Steven Seagal – who was banned from Ukraine for five years in 2017 after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the actor a Russian passport – has spoken out about the Ukrainian conflict, saying he looks at both sides “as one family”.

“Most of us have friends and family in Russia and Ukraine,” the actor told Fox News Digital as reported by the New York Post.

“I look at both as one family and really believe it is an outside entity spending huge sums of money on propaganda to provoke the two countries to be at odds with each other.”

“My prayers are that both countries will come to a positive, peaceful resolution where we can live and thrive together in peace,” the 69-year-old added.

The Under Siege star was appointed as a special envoy for humanitarian ties with the United States by the Russian Foreign Ministry in 2018.

The unpaid gig would “facilitate relations between Russia and the United States in the humanitarian field, including co-operation in culture, arts, public news and youth exchanges,” according to the agency.

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Steven Seagal defended Russia leadership for its annexation of Crimea in 2014, calling Putin ‘one of the great living world leaders’. Picture: AFP/Ria-Novosti/Alexei Nikolsky

In 2021, Seagal was formally inducted into the Pro-Putin A Just Russia — Patriots — For Truth political party at a ceremony.

He was granted Russian citizenship in 2016, and defended Russia leadership for its annexation of Crimea in 2014, calling Putin “one of the great living world leaders”.

Months after he was granted Russian citizenship and personally presented with a passport by Mr Putin, Ukraine deemed the Hard to Kill actor a threat to national security and banned him from the country for five years.

Seagal’s citizenship was supposed to be a sign of improving relations between the US and Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with US action hero actor Steven Seagal after presenting him with a Russian passport at the Kremlin in 2016. Picture: AFP Photo / Sputnik / Alexey Druzhinin

Both Seagal and Mr Putin practice martial arts and have attended several events together during his visits to Russia.

Russia launched its invasion into Ukraine last week, wreaking havoc across the Eastern European nation.

While exact death tolls are unclear, hundreds of civilians have been reported killed, including at least 16 children.

Hundreds of thousands have already fled the violence to neighbouring nations, causing a massive refugee crisis in Europe.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.