Edge's News: Steven Seagal speaks out on Ukraine invasion: ‘I look at both as one family’

Action star Steven Seagal — who was banned from Ukraine for five years in 2017 after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the actor a Russian passport — spoke out on the Ukrainian conflict Monday, saying he looks at both sides “as one family.”

“Most of us have friends and family in Russia & Ukraine,” the action star told Fox News Digital on Monday. “I look at both as one family and really believe it is an outside entity spending huge sums of money on propaganda to provoke the two countries to be at odds with each other.”

“My prayers are that both countries will come to a positive, peaceful resolution where we can live & thrive together in peace,” the 69-year-old added.

The “Under Siege” star was appointed as a special envoy for humanitarian ties with the United States by the Russian Foreign Ministry in 2018. The unpaid gig would “facilitate relations between Russia and the United States in the humanitarian field, including cooperation in culture, arts, public and youth exchanges,” according to the agency.

In 2021, Seagal was formally inducted into the Pro-Putin A Just Russia — Patriots — For Truth political party at a ceremony.

He was granted Russian citizenship in 2016, and defended Russia’s leadership for its annexation of Crimea in 2014, calling Putin “one of the great living world leaders.”

Months after he was granted Russian citizenship and personally presented with a passport by Putin, Ukraine deemed the “Hard to Kill” actor a threat to national security and banned him from the country for five years.

Seagal’s citizenship was supposed to be a sign of improving relations between the US and Russia.

Both Seagal and Putin practice martial arts and have attended several events together during his visits to Russia.

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last week, wreaking havoc across the Eastern European nation.

While exact death tolls are unclear, hundreds of civilians have been reported killed, including at least 16 children. Hundreds of thousands have already fled the violence to neighbouring nations, causing a massive refugee crisis in Europe.

Comments

The FCT Minister–Soldier Standoff: A Test of Civil Authority and the Rule of Law

On November 11, 2025, Nigerians watched in disbelief as a video surfaced showing a tense confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a group of armed soldiers who blocked his convoy from accessing a disputed piece of land in Gaduwa, Abuja. The incident, brief but dramatic, was more than a moment of political theatre. It struck at the heart of a much bigger issue — the place of the military in a democracy, and the sanctity of civilian authority under the Nigerian Constitution. The Legal Position: Who Was Right? The Minister’s Authority Under Section 302 of the 1999 Constitution and the FCT Act , the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory exercises the executive powers of the President within Abuja. That means the Minister is not just a political appointee — he represents federal executive authority . His duties include overseeing land allocation, urban planning, and the enforcement of development control through the Federal Capital T...

Nigeria: On the Right of Self-Defence and Protection of National Sovereignty

The Federal Republic of Nigeria reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, in particular the maintenance of international peace and security, the respect for the sovereignty and political independence of all States, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. Nigeria is a sovereign and independent nation. Our Constitution vests sovereignty in the people of Nigeria and mandates the Government to protect the territorial integrity and independence of our country. This sovereignty—recognised under international law and reaffirmed by our membership in the United Nations, the African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)—is inviolable. The Government of Nigeria has observed with grave concern recent statements and actions that amount to a threat of aggression and possible violation of our territorial integrity. We remind all States that any such threat or use of force contravenes Article 2(4) of the Ch...

Kebbi’s 3 a.m. Withdrawal Shows Why President Tinubu’s Security Reforms Can’t Wait

When Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State revealed that security personnel deployed to vulnerable communities were withdrawn at 3:00 a.m.—just 45 minutes before an attack—Nigerians reacted with shock, anger, and a single question that refuses to disappear: Who gave the withdrawal order? It is a fair question. It is also one that may take time, investigation, and institutional honesty to answer. But the Kebbi incident exposes a deeper truth about security management in Nigeria: our command structure is too fragmented for a country battling multi-layered threats. And this, more than anything, validates President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s push for a centralised, technology-driven, and accountable security coordination model. Nigeria’s security agencies—military, police, DSS, civil defence, intelligence units—operate in parallel lanes with overlapping mandates. State governors, despite bearing the title “Chief Security Officer,” have no legal authority over federal forces. This incoheren...

Edge Of The World

Search This Blog