Russia appoints Steven Seagal special envoy for humanitarian work

Russia has appointed action movie star Steven Seagal as a special envoy for humanitarian ties with the United States.

The foreign ministry announced the move on Saturday on its Facebook page, saying Seagal’s portfolio in the unpaid position would be to “facilitate relations between Russia and the United States in the humanitarian field, including cooperation in culture, arts, public and youth exchanges.”

The actor, who was granted Russian citizenship in 2016, has vocally defended Putin’s policies, including Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, and has criticised the US government.

Last year, Ukraine banned Seagal from entering the country for five years, citing national security reasons.