Capitals captain says he is ‘not pro-war’ after appearing in Russian campaign ad

Filed 1h ago · Via NV · The Buffoon Desk

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Covert Affair

Kevin MacLeod · incompetech.com · CC BY 4.0

Photo: Пресс-служба Президента России · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin defended his appearance in a United Russia campaign video, filmed alongside Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, days before Russia's parliamentary election. He told reporters at Capitals media day he is 'not pro-war' and merely supports his country, adding he did not hesitate when asked to appear and did not consult team management first.

Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, has a long public history with Putin, including launching a pro-Putin movement in 2017 and declining to condemn the 2022 invasion of Ukraine at the time. U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson has asked NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to review the matter; the league has announced no discipline.

Capitals general manager Chris Patrick called the situation difficult and said he understood the public's frustration, though the team has taken no action against its captain.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.

✒ FROM THE EDITORIAL DESK

Standing behind a foreign minister in a state propaganda video and then explaining you're just supporting your country, not the war, is the kind of distinction that only holds up if nobody asks a follow-up question. It's the political equivalent of posing for a photo at the arsonist's barbecue and insisting you only came for the potato salad. The league's silence on it says plenty too.

Source: Read the original at NV → Scored: Covert Affair · Kevin MacLeod · CC BY 4.0

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