Action hero Steven Seagal has played down security fears ahead of the Sochi Olympics, equating the threat of terrorism with that of going out to buy a bag of sugar and getting hit by a car.
With the Olympic Games little more than a week away, the action star — who counts President Vladimir Putin among his acquaintances — appeared on Fox News' Huckerbee show, telling the host that the chances of a terrorist attack were "extremely remote."
"They've got amazing assets in place with great liaison over the world. President Putin is doing the very, very best he can … so it's going to be pretty tough for anybody to pull it off," he said.
The country's Alfa counterterrorism units, whom Seagal said he knew "very, very well," were singled out for particular praise, with the actor calling them "some of the best anti-terrorist crack commandos in the world."
"By virtue of the fact that they have so much experience, you couldn't have a better group of guys out there searching for [terrorists], getting rid of them, or getting them neutralized," Seagal said in the interview, which aired Jan. 26.
Seagal also urged U.S. President Barack Obama — who enjoys a notoriously frosty relationship with President Putin — to pursue closer ties with Russia, saying "they should be our great allies."
"They are a very powerful country with spectacular natural resources and a wonderful leadership … one of the only ways we are going to survive without getting swallowed by other superpowers or being adversely affected is to be best friends with Russia," he said.
Seagal has traveled to Russia several times in the past few years, spending time with fellow martial arts lover President Putin and also traveling to Chechnya to meet the region's notorious leader, Ramzan Kadyrov.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.