Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin on Friday joined the chorus of Russian athletes and celebrities who are speaking out against the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Ovechkin, who long has publicly supported Russian president Vladimir Putin, called for peace while speaking with the media following practice Friday.
“Please, no more war,” Ovechkin told reporters, via Greg Wyshynski of ESPN. “It doesn’t matter who is in the war — Russia, Ukraine, different countries — we have to live in peace.”
The 36-year-old offered more than a generic anti-war sentiment, going on to directly address the conflict, which he called “a hard situation.”
“I’m Russian, right? It’s not something I can control,” he told reporters, via Wyshynski. “It’s not in my hands. I hope it’s going to end soon and there’s going to be peace in both countries. I don’t control this one.”
Ovechkin noted his parents, wife and children “have been in Moscow,” per Wyshynski.
Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev also acknowledged the developing situation Friday following his semifinal victory at the Dubai Championships. While participating in the common tradition of writing a message on the camera following a win, Rublev wrote “No War Please.”
Russian forces began to invade Ukraine on Thursday, and by Friday night CNN was reporting the capital city of Kyiv “could fall within hours or days.”
