Steven Seagal is trading his martial arts training for diplomatic skills in his new role as the Russian Foreign Ministry's special representative to improve United States and Russian relations. Seagal is not getting paid for his new job, but he'll be tasked with deepening cultural, art and youth ties between the two countries. Back in 2016, President Vladimir Putin presented a Russian passport to Seagal in effort to help relations between Moscow and the United States. However, things have really only gotten worse since then.

Steven Seagal's new Russian position is a ceremonial post, which is similar to a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, meaning that the former action star won't have any official responsibility. President Vladimir Putin and Seagal are close friends, which is more than likely why this new position was given. The actor has been a very public supporter of Putin, going on television to defend the Russian president over accusations of meddling in the 2016 United States elections. Seagal has said that it's "stupid" to think that Russia or any other country has the technology to tamper with voting.

As for the choice of Steven Seagal to be the Russian Foreign Ministry's special representative to improve United States and Russian relations, that seems a bit puzzling. Former co-stars have often talked about the actor's violent temper on the set of his movies, which doesn't really bode well for negotiating peace between two countries. However, it's the most recent accusations of sexual assault, including an incident with an underage girl, that have most people scratching their heads. Seagal has been accused by many women over the years, including Jenny McCarthy, Portia de Rossi, and Rachel Grant, to name a few.

As for Russian and United States relations currently, things are a bit contentious, to say the least. Both countries are at odds over Syria and Ukraine and there is still the issue of Russian hackers tampering with the 2016 elections in an effort to further divide the United States. Whatever the case may be, Steven Seagal is honored that he was chosen to take on his new role to improve relations. He also states that he's taking his new position very seriously. He had this to say.

"I am deeply humbled and honored to have been appointed as a special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry in charge of Russian and American Humanitarian ties. hope we can strive for peace, harmony and positive results in the world. I take this honor very seriously."

President Donald Trump has been criticized for his reluctance to speak out against Russia or President Vladimir Putin, and the addition to Steven Seagal into the mix isn't going to help matters. Trump and Seagal have both said over the years that the United States would greatly benefit from a strong relationship with Russia. Dennis Rodman has yet to comment on this news, but you can read more about Steven Seagal and his new Russian Goodwill Ambassador role over at Reuters.