NHL star Alexander Ovechkin recently appeared in a video for United Russia, a group supporting Vladimir Putin, ahead of parliamentary elections. This action contradicts Ovechkin's past assertions that he is not involved in politics, despite his known close relationship with the Russian president. Following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Ovechkin had called Putin his president but maintained he was "not in politics" as an athlete. He had also promoted the Russian president in a social media campaign and used Putin's image on his Instagram.
The video features Ovechkin alongside prominent figures including Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Margarita Simonyan, editor in chief of the state controlled media outlet RT. When asked about the video, Ovechkin told reporters Thursday, "I'm Russian." He also expressed hope for global peace, stating, "I'm for peace and love... I hope everybody understands everybody wants peace." His participation in the United Russia campaign marks a significant departure from his earlier claims of being apolitical.