Canadian governmental organization petitioned to block Alexander Ovechkin from entering country
Luke Gentile
Video Embed
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress petitioned the Canadian government Wednesday to block NHL superstar and Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin from playing in the country.
Ovechkin requires a visa to play in Canada, and the UCC, a nonprofit organization claiming to represent “the Ukrainian Canadian community before the people and government of Canada,” believes the Capitals forward’s ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin should bar him from entering their country.
MTG ATTACKS TULSI GABBARD FOR RIPPING INTO INCOMING GOP REPRESENTATIVE OVER FALSEHOODS
The 37-year-old hockey star is a “long-time supporter” of the Russian leader, according to the UCC.
“Ovechkin continues to support Putin as ‘his President’ even in the face of Russia’s genocidal war in Ukraine. Ovechkin never condemned Russia’s genocidal war and continues to post a photo of himself with Putin on his social media account,” the UCC letter to Canada’s leaders read.
His refusal to denounce Russia’s invasion and his continued support of Putin is “offensive to the Ukrainian community in Canada,” according to the UCC.
Ovechkin’s current profile picture on his Instagram shows him making a peace sign next to Putin, and the comments he made about Putin being “his President” are from an interview shortly after invasion was launched in February.
“Permitting Ovechkin to enter Canada would send he wrong message to Canadians who are already perplexed by what appears to be the unwillingness of the Government of Canada to act against the Russian regime here in Canada,” the nonprofit argued.
Canada’s attendance at a Russian Embassy event, its refusal to expel Russian diplomats, and failure to remedy the security concerns of Ukrainian Canadians are all examples of the aforementioned “unwillingness,” according to the letter.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Allowing Ovechkin to enter and play in Canada would be perceived as preferring the commercial interests of Ovechkin and the National Hockey League over the lives of Ukrainians and would be particularly painful to the families of the many world-class Ukrainian athletes who have lost their lives as a result of Putin’s genocidal war,” the letter reads.