Panarin is rare Russian athlete to speak out against Putin Follow Us
Question of the Day By Andy Kostka - The Washington Times - Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Russian athletes competing abroad generally fall into one of two groups when it comes to Vladimir Putin. There are those, like the Washington Capitals’ own Alex Ovechkin, who openly embrace the longtime Russian president. Others who aren’t quite such fans of Putin figure maybe it’s best just to keep their mouths shut.
The New York Rangers star is one of the few Russian athletes who’s shown a willingness to talk about repression in his home country, and his criticism of Putin may have made the 29-year-old a target for the Kremlin.