Alex Ovechkin attracts sympathy and condemnation over social media after Putin attacks Ukraine

by Charlie Smith on February 25th, 2022 at 12:34 PM

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In 2017, Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin declared over Instagram that he's "ready to be a member of Putin's team".

But today as Russian bombs fall on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, Ovechkin is singing a different tune.

When asked about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ovechkin replied, "Please, no more war."

"We have to live in peace," he added.

The Capitals' captain stopped short of criticizing Putin, describing him as "my president".

https://twitter.com/cspotweet/status/1497293617328762887

That has some on social media demanding that Ovechkin do more to try to stop Putin's war of aggression on Ukraine. But others have expressed sympathy for him, saying he might put family members in peril for slamming Russia's president.

According to the Nuremberg Tribunal following the Second Word War, launching a war of aggression against another nation state is the supreme international war crime.

Here are some of the comments being made on social media.