Dear Ministers,
Re: Canadian entry visa - citizen of the Russian Federation Alexander Ovechkin
We write to you in connection with the scheduled National Hockey League game between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto on January 23, 2023.
Alexander Ovechkin, a citizen of Russia and a member of the Washington Capitals team, requires a visa to enter and play hockey in Canada. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) urges the Government of Canada to refuse Ovechkin entry into Canada.
Ovechkin has been a long-time supporter of Russian President Putin having campaigned for him in the fraudulent Russian election in 2018. Ovechkin continues to support Putin as 'his President' even in the face of Russia's genocidal war in Ukraine.
Ovechkin has never condemned Russia's genocidal war and continues to post a photo of himself with Putin on his social media account.
Ovechkin's refusal to speak out against the genocide Russia is committing against Ukraine, and his ongoing support of Putin and the Russian regime is offensive to the Ukrainian community in Canada.
Permitting Ovechkin to enter Canada would send the 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. This is evidenced by: the attendance of a representative of Global Affairs at an event in the Russian Embassy; the refusal of Canada to expel Russian diplomats from Canada despite the fact that many allied countries have done so; the refusal to address the vandalism committed against a Ukrainian symbol in Ottawa by persons who emerged from a diplomatic vehicle of the Russian embassy; and the failure to address the security concerns of
