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Latvia bars NHL’s Ovechkin, Trump Jr. wedding benefactor from entering country Latvia has barred Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin from entering the country days after he appeared in a political ad for a party backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, has decided to include Alexander Ovechkin and Umar Kremlev on the list of personae non gratae and to prohibit their entry into Latvia for an indefinite period,” the ministry said in a statement posted to social media Thursday. The ministry said the decision was made in accordance with Latvia’s immigration law but did not give a specific reason for barring the two Russian natives. The two were placed on the Latvian persona non gratae list, prohibiting them from entering the northern European country which borders Russia. The announcement came the same day Ovechkin addressed his controversial appearance in an ad for United Russia, Putin’s ruling political party. The decision also closely followed reports that Kremlev, Putin ally and president of the International Boxing Association, helped finance wedding celebrations for President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. and his wife Bettina. The clip caused one House GOP member, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), to ask NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to investigate the Capitals player for supporting the Russian president. The lawmaker labeled Putin a “criminal” partially due to the Russian leader’s multiyear war in Ukraine. When asked by reporters about the ad during the hockey team’s annual media day Thursday, Ovechkin responded, “I’m Russian, and I support my country.” “I’m for peace and love,” the NHL star added. When pressed on his decision to participate in the ad, Ovechkin said he did not hesitate to do so. In the clip, the Capitals player stood behind Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, along with Viacheslav Fetisov, a former Soviet hockey star, and other prominent Russian figures. “They asked me to do that. I say yes,” Ovechkin, the NHL’s leading scorer, replied. “So, it’s as simple as that.” The 41-year-old has faced scrutiny over his relationship with Putin for years. In 2017, Ovechkin launched a movement called “Putin Team” in support of the Russian president. Kremlev, the other sports figure added to Latvia’s banned list, has also been known to have close ties to Putin. His controversy-plagued boxing organization is financed by Russia’s state-owned natural gas company, Gazprom. Latvia, a European Union and NATO member, has barred numerous Russian nationals from entering the country since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. In 2025, Latvia ordered more than 800 Russian citizens to leave the country after failing to prove their Latvian language proficiency. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
document fetched 2026-09-18 02:55 · canonical https://thehill.com/policy/international/6097023-latvia-bans-alex-ovechkin-putin-ad