Weapons maker Kalashnikov Concern has denied reports it will no longer work with U.S. actor Steven Seagal to promote its brand overseas.
The Izvestia newspaper said Tuesday that Seagal — who was reported to have opened negotiations with Kalashnikov in January — had been dropped from his future role as brand ambassador given the existing tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine.
The iconic Russian rifle maker, however, dismissed the report as hearsay, saying it had "no bearing on reality" in an online statement published Tuesday.
"The U.S. sanctions have in no way influenced our decision to cooperate with Steven Seagal," the statement said.
"We are revising the brand concept … but we do not exclude the possibility of involving any brand ambassador in the future," the statement added.
The company did not say whether Seagal would be involved in promoting the brand after all.
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