The Russian Foreign Ministry appointed Seagal, who is a Russian passport-holder, as its special representative for Russian-U.S. humanitarian ties last month, tasking him with improving cultural, art and youth relations between the two countries.

U.S. actor Steven Seagal has said he would like to run for governor in a Russian region in which the latest elections were declared invalid due to violations.

Seagal waded into Russian politics again on Wednesday when he was asked at a film festival in Vladivostok about the upcoming elections in the Far East region of Primorye.

New elections have been declared in the region following widespread violations in voting earlier this month.

“I want to learn more about the Primorye region. And become your governor,” Seagal was quoted as saying by Interfax when asked if he would consider a gubernatorial run.

“I represent the interests of President [Vladimir] Putin,” the actor added.

The head of Russia’s Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, told the Govorit Moskva radio station that Seagal has the right to run for office as a Russian passport-holder, but that he may be barred from doing so if he holds more than one citizenship.