Main points
- Jean-Claude Van Damme called Putin his “good friend” during the opening of his exhibition in Hong Kong.
- The actor met with Ukrainian defenders in 2022, so his statement outraged the network.
Jean-Claude Van Damme / Photo from the actor's Instagram
Hollywood actor Jean-Claude Van Damme has caused a stir with a new statement. He spoke about his “friendship” with dictator Putin.
Jean-Claude Van Damme recently appeared at the opening of his art exhibition in Hong Kong. He made comments to the South China Morning Post and mentioned the Russian president.
The actor suddenly quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin and called him his “good friend.” According to Van Damme, Putin once explained his international fame by saying that “actions speak louder than words.”
The celebrity added that the Russian president said this phrase “before the war and the conflict between America, Russia, and China.”
It should be noted that Ukrainians were also recently outraged by singer James Blunt, known for his hits You're Beautiful and Goodbye My Lover. He took a photo in a hat with Russian symbols and published it in a thread.
What is known about Jean-Claude Van Damme's position?
- Jean-Claude Van Damme has visited Ukraine several times – the first time was in 2009. The thing is that the actor had an affair with a Ukrainian woman from Kryvyi Rih. Van Damme also came to Kyiv for filming.
- After the start of the full-scale invasion, Jean-Claude Van Damme made no public statements. However, in December 2022, he arrived in Ukraine and showed up at a hospital in Uzhhorod. A video also appeared online of the actor meeting with Ukrainian defenders and shouting “Glory to Ukraine!”.
- But already in the spring of 2025, a video of Jean-Claude Van Damme in the company of Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Onyshchenko (who is suspected of treason) appeared on the Internet. They say that they want to come to Russia to become “ambassadors of peace.”