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Steven Seagal Could Face EU Sanctions for Putin Fandom: Report

An EU official said “restrictive measures could be imposed” on the one-time action star if a legal case is made that he is harming Ukraine.

Former Hollywood action star Steven Seagal could be hit with European Union sanctions for his support of Vladimir Putin, according to a new report. Seagal, who obtained Russian citizenship in 2016 when Putin personally gave him a passport, was one of the most high-profile guests at the Russian president’s inauguration ceremony this week. The one-time actor has repeatedly heaped praise on the Russian leader, and the inauguration ceremony was no exception: Seagal described Putin as the “greatest world leader.” An unnamed EU official told EUObserver that Seagal could find himself facing sanctions after his attendance. “If the council had a solid legal case [that his actions helped harm Ukraine]… then restrictive measures could be imposed,” the official said. Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced in 2018 that it had appointed Seagal “a special representative in charge of Russian-U.S. humanitarian ties,” a position that Seagal said at the time he takes “very seriously.”