Russian President Vladimir Putin presented a Russian passport to U.S. actor Steven Seagal on Friday and said he hoped it would serve as a symbol of how the fractious ties between Moscow and Washington are starting to improve. When Putin then asked how he was doing, the actor replied that "everything is good. Putin, a fan of the kind of martial arts that Seagal often practises in his Hollywood action movies, signed an order at the start of this month to grant Russian citizenship to Seagal. Seagal is the latest Western celebrity to have been given a Russian passport in the past few years. Putin has expressed hope that, with the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president, relations will improve.

Source: Egypt Independent November 26, 2016 10:10 UTC