Latvia bans Ovechkin and Kremlev from entry — The Hill
Latvia has added Russian Washington Capitals hockey player Alexander Ovechkin and International Boxing Association president Umar Kremlev to its list of undesirable persons and indefinitely banned them from entering the country. The decision was made by Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže.
Indefinite entry ban
In a statement, Latvia’s foreign ministry said the decision was made in accordance with the country’s immigration laws. The ministry did not specify the particular reasons for adding Ovechkin and Kremlev to the persona non grata list.
As reported by The Hill, the announcement appeared on the same day that Ovechkin commented on his participation in a political advertisement for United Russia, the ruling party of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the leader of the aggressor state.
United Russia advertisement
During the Washington Capitals’ annual media day, Ovechkin told reporters that he is Russian and supports his country. He also said that he stands for peace and love.
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Answering a question about his participation in the video, the hockey player explained that he was asked to take part and agreed. In the video, Ovechkin stood behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, representing the aggressor state, as well as former Soviet hockey player Vyacheslav Fetisov and other public figures.
After the advertisement appeared, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson asked NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to review the player’s actions over his support for Putin. In 2017, Ovechkin launched the Putin Team movement in support of the Russian president.
The Hill notes that Kremlev has close ties to Putin, while the International Boxing Association he heads is financed by Russia’s state gas company Gazprom. Latvia, an EU and NATO member, has banned a number of Russian citizens from entering the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
