Washington Capitals Russian-born star Alex Ovechkin, a supporter of President Vladimir Putin, said he hoped there soon would be peace amid his country's invasion of Ukraine.
"It’s a hard situation. I have lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine, and it’s hard to see the war," he told reporters on Friday. "I hope soon it’s going to be over and there’s going to be peace in the whole world."
Ovechkin had started a social movement supporting Putin ahead of the 2017 Russian presidential election, and a picture of the two of them is on the winger's Instagram account.
Ovechkin was asked whether he supports Putin amid the invasion.
"He’s my president but … I’m not in politics," he said. "I’m an athlete and how I said, I hope everything is going to be done soon. It’s a hard situation right now for both sides. ... I'm not in control of the situation."
Ovechkin's wife, children and other family members are in Russia, so he has been following the situation.
"I don't want to see nobody get hurt, nobody get killed," he said of the war. "I hope it’s going to be over and we’re going to live in a good world."
He said it was too early for him to decide whether his family would stay there.
Some Russian athletes have come out strongly against the war. Tennis player Andrey Rublev wrote, "No war please" on a TV camera after he won a match in Dubai.
"Please, no more war," Ovechkin said. "It doesn’t matter who’s in a war. Russia, Ukraine, different countries. I think we live in a world, like, we have to live in peace and a great world."
