The rumors that are going around about Steven Segal's Russian citizenship were finally confirmed. Segal is now a citizen of Russia and his status was given the green light by no less than the country's President, Vladimir Putin. Some observers believe that this comes as a strange event, considering that the United States is currently experiencing some diplomatic issues with Russia.
What Putin Wants With Segal
A report suggested that President Putin wants Segal to play a vital role in building friendship between his country and the United States. Putin wants the Hollywood action star and martial artist to be Russia's honorary consul in California and Arizona. However, Washington is not agreeable to this Russian strategy. Perhaps some of the insiders in Washington think of Segal as a traitor to his country
Segal Has Personally Met Putin And Visited Russia A Number Of Times
Seagal, 64, has visited Russia several times and has even met Putin personally in one of his trips there. He accompanied the Russian President in some martial events in that country. Segal is also very vocal in supporting Putin's policies and his criticisms of the U.S. government.
But he is not the only foreign celebrity who was given Russian citizenship in the past few years. Two of the most prominent examples are Roy Jones, a U.S. boxer, and Gerard Depardieu, a French actor. It seems Russia is using foreign celebrities for its current diplomatic strategy. But will Segal's Russian citizenship help the bilateral relations between Russia and the United States?
According to Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president's spokesperson, Steven Segal "has been insistent for a long time in asking to be granted Russian citizenship." Peskov also said: "He is known for his warm feelings to our country, he never made a secret of it, and he's also a well-known actor, which gave grounds to make him a Russian citizen.
