Don’t confuse sports with politics – Russian sports officials and politicians like to say, especially since their compatriots began bombing Ukrainian cities and residents, and as a result of the ensuing sanctions, Russian athletes were pushed to the margins of international sports competitions.
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Now Russian ice hockey star Alexander Ovechkin has appeared in an advertisement for the ruling United Russia party.
The campaign clip for the Duma elections on September 18-20 features the country’s long-time foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, from the aggressor country.
Behind him are seven other figures, including Margarita Simonyan, head of the Russian propaganda channel, actor Vladimir Mashkov, and singer Tatyana Kurtukova.
Like the Kremlin’s master, S. Lavrov used threatening rhetoric in his speech.
Czech ice hockey legend Dominik Hašek explained on X what he thinks Ovechkin’s appearance in the advertisement means.
“In the current situation, every Russian’s public appearance acts as huge advertising for Russian aggression,” Hašek wrote. “Ovechkin is the best-known example, but this applies to all Russian athletes without exception.”
The video sparked many comments on social media about Ovechkin’s role in the party supporting the war led by V. Putin.
Most thought similarly to Hašek.
“Don’t confuse sports with politics,” one sarcastically suggested.
“By supporting a political party, Ovechkin strengthens Putin’s position and those who support killing and increase the scale of the tragedy in Ukraine,” wrote another.
“Ovechkin should be ashamed. He openly supports the war criminal Putin,” said a third.
40-year-old Ovechkin from the NHL club Washington Capitals was previously known as a supporter of V. Putin. In 2017, he contributed to the “PutinTeam” election campaign.
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