Green-fingered Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko forced US action star Steven Seagal to eat one of his home-grown carrots, an embarrassing encounter that drew widespread ridicule in the former Soviet state on Thursday. Footage released by the president’s press service shows the authoritarian leader picking up a long carrot, quickly peeling it and handing it to the black-clad martial arts star visiting his country residence. “Here, please: eat it for your health, it’s very good for you,” said Lukashenko, wearing a tracksuit jacket and baseball cap, as Seagal politely chewed. Lukashenko, a former head of a collective farm, has ruled ex-Soviet Belarus since 1994 and was once dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” by Washington. He enjoys showing off his farming skills and last year persuaded French actor Gérard Depardieu – now a Russian citizen – to mow grass with him. The images sparked much hilarity online in Belarus. “Today Twitter is made up of three parts: Lukashenko, Seagal and the carrot,” tweeted the Daily Minsk. Seagal was in Belarus for talks with game developer Wargaming, known for its video game World of Tanks. Seagal’s fame peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s with films such as “Red Alert” and “Above the Law,” but he remains hugely popular in Eastern Europe and was granted Serbian citizenship in January. Like Depardieu, he has previously hung out with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a martial arts fan, and the muscle-bound pro-Kremlin Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. After Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Seagal called Putin “one of the greatest living world leaders” and even performed with his blues band on the annexed Black Sea peninsula.
Belarus President forces Hollywood star Seagal to eat his carrot
