Alex Ovechkin breaks silence on Russia's invasion of Ukraine: 'Something I can't control, it's not in my hands

The 12-time NHL All-Star is a longtime supporter of Vladimir Putin

By Wajih AlBaroudi

Feb 25, 2022 at 6:28 pm ET • 1 min read

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After declining to speak with the media on Thursday, hours after Russia invaded Ukraine, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin broke his silence a day later. The 12-time NHL All-Star from Russia said he's hoping for "no more war."

Ovechkin called the situation "hard" because he has friends in both Russia and Ukraine. The 36-year-old added he wants "peace in the whole world" sooner rather than later.

"Please, no more war," Ovechkin said. "It doesn't matter who is in the war — Russia, Ukraine, different countries — I think we live in a world, like, we have to live in peace and a great world."

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin media availability after practice in Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/y2gxFpV3CL
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 25, 2022

While Ovechkin criticized the war, he directed no negative words toward Russian president Vladimir Putin. A longtime supporter of Putin, Ovechkin called him "my president" on Friday and said it is a "hard situation right now for both sides." Ovechkin established a social movement called PutinTeam in 2017 to strengthen his re-election bid.

Ovechkin's anti-war sentiment mirrors that of another Russian athlete. World No. 7 tennis player Andrey Rublev wrote "no war please" on a nearby camera lens immediately after he advanced to the Dubai Open final on Friday.