Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded the Order of Friendship to Dimitri Simes, an American political scientist and presenter of the political talk show Great Game on Russia's Channel One network.
The state honor was officially confirmed in a presidential decree published on Russia's official portal of legal information, the web portal used by the Russian government to publish official legal acts. According to the document, Simes was decorated for merits in the field of mass media and many years of conscientious work as a presenter for the Moscow-based joint-stock company Channel One.
The Order of Friendship is a state decoration of the Russian Federation awarded to citizens and foreign nationals whose efforts advance international relations, promote mutual understanding, or foster public cooperation. Channel One is Russia's primary state-controlled television network, broadcasting from its headquarters in Moscow and reaching millions of viewers across the country.
Sanctions charges in the United States
The recognition from Moscow follows recent legal action taken against the commentator by federal authorities in Washington. In September 2024, United States officials charged Simes and his wife, Anastasia, with violating American sanctions laws. Federal prosecutors indicated that the charges carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Simes had previously stated that he stopped traveling to the United States because of federal law enforcement searches carried out at his private residence in the state of Virginia. He specified that he has not traveled to the United States since October 2022.
Diplomatic career and public profile
Before his television work in Russia, Simes spent decades as a prominent figure in Washington diplomatic circles, where he was widely regarded as an expert on Russian governance and foreign policy. He also served as the publisher of The National Interest, an American foreign affairs publication founded in 1985 that focuses on international relations and geopolitical strategy.
Simes expanded his presence in Russian media in 2018 when he began co-hosting Great Game on Channel One. The prime-time political talk show covers international diplomacy, Western foreign policy, and relations between Moscow and Washington, establishing Simes as a prominent political commentator on Russian state television.
