'I'm Russian, and I support my country,' Ovechkin says after appearing in campaign ad for Putin's party
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Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, who has played for the Washington Capitals since 2005, said on Sept. 17 that he did not hesitate when asked to participate in a campaign ad for Russia's ruling party.
"I'm Russian, and I support my country. So, as I said, I'm for peace and love," he told reporters when asked why he appeared in the ad. "I hope everybody understands everybody wants peace, and I hope everything's going to be okay in the world."
Ovechkin appeared in a campaign video alongside key Kremlin officials, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in support of the United Russia party ahead of parliamentary elections on Sept. 18.
The political party is de facto led by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and United Russia has backed the war against Ukraine.
"The thing about (the) video, I'm Russian. As soon as I'm done playing hockey, I'm probably going to stay there. I'm going to live there. My kids are going to live there," Ovechkin said.
Republican Representative Joe Wilson condemned Ovechkin's participation in the campaign ad in a Sept. 15 letter to National Hockey League (NHL) Commissioner Gary Bettman and in a post to X a day later.
"Even more disturbing, this United Russia campaign includes Maria Lvova-Belova, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for her role in the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territory," Wilson wrote.
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze on Sept. 17 announced that Ovechkin and Russian Oligarch Umar Kremlev have been declared persona non grata and have been barred entry into the country for an indefinite period of time.
