Actor Steven Seagal was among the hand-picked guests Tuesday at the fifth inauguration of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who predicted victory in his war against Ukraine and defiantly said that "only" Russia would determine its destiny.
Seagal, 72, was photographed wearing what appeared to be a black martial arts uniform and a beaded necklace as he arrived for the ceremony at Moscow's Grand Kremlin Palace.
"He's the greatest world leader. He's the greatest," Seagal told reporters about Putin, according to Newsweek.
Seagal also reportedly said he was "looking forward" to Putin's next six-year term, which ends in 2030.
The portly star of the late '80s and early '90s action movies "Above the Law" and "Under Siege" has reportedly been living in Moscow for several years.
He became a Russian citizen in 2016 and was personally awarded a passport by Putin, with whom he reportedly bonded over their shared love of martial arts.
Last year, Putin also gave Seagal an Order of Friendship and he was named a humanitarian envoy to the U.S. and Japan by Russia's Foreign Ministry in 2018.
During Putin's inauguration ceremony, he placed his hand on the Russian Constitution and vowed to defend it as a select crowd of dignitaries watched, the Associated Press reported.
During a speech afterward, Putin, 71, thanked the Russian forces fighting in what he called the "special military operation" in Ukraine and declared, "The destiny of Russia will be determined by ourselves only," Sky News reported.
"We will go through this difficult time and will be successful," he added.
