Former action hero Steven Seagal is a striking guest at Putin’s inauguration party

Vladimir Putin was sworn in as president of Russia for the fifth time on Tuesday. And one striking guest could be spotted at those ceremonies: former action hero Steven Seagal.

“I swear (…) to respect and protect human rights and civil liberties and to respect and protect the constitution, sovereignty, independence, security and integrity of the government,” Putin said, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene. He won the presidential elections in March with a monster score of 87 percent. Although many questions are raised about the authenticity of those elections.

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Putin’s inauguration was traditionally attended by oligarchs, generals and politicians. But this time there was also a former action hero among those present: Steven Seagal (71). In a wide kimono and trousers, the sturdy former Hollywood actor is one of the striking celebrities at the party in the Kremlin.

The 70-year-old Hollywood actor is known for being a strong supporter of the Russian president. In 2016, Putin even personally granted him Russian citizenship and worked for the Russian Foreign Ministry as a special envoy. He had to improve ties between Russia, Japan and the United States. In February of last year, Seagal also received a special recognition from Putin. “He is the greatest world leader,” Seagal responded to a question from an American journalist on Tuesday. “With Putin as president, the future will be the best.”

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