- It is very important.

Athletes are reputable people in Russia.

The athletes who go out and actively support the war through various political symbols, they also support the political regime's unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, says Pär Gustafsson, security policy analyst at the Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI).

"Signal that you are in the boat"

Several well-known and lesser-known athletes have in recent weeks expressed support for Vladimir Putin and the Russian military.

Athletes whose careers in many cases depend on the support of the Russian state.

- It is clear that an individual always has a choice.

But in an authoritarian state like Russia, which in just the last few weeks has taken a real step in a totalitarian direction, it creates an atmosphere where it can be important, the individuals, in this case the athletes, feel that talking about supporting the autocrat who leads the country.

The dictator who actually rules the country.

It can be a way to signal that you are in the boat, says Pär Gustafsson.

Pär Gustafsson has many years of experience studying Russian security policy.

He does not rule out that there may be both formal and informal pressure that causes Russian athletes to speak out.

- There are a number of ways to create pressure for people who are in the NHL, for example.

Simply because they probably have relatives left in Russia, he says.

- Another reason may be that when they themselves return to Russia, they can get into trouble because the state is so extensive in Russia.

But one should not hide behind a chair that there may be people who voluntarily choose to support Putin.

Criticized Ovetchkin broke the silence

New York Rangers star forward Artemi Panarin is the only currently active NHL Russian who has previously openly criticized Vladimir Putin.

Washington Capital's team captain Alexander Ovetchkin, on the other hand, has over the years had a well-documented good relationship with his president.

The NHL star was pressured by American media to speak out after a few days of radio silence.

- He's my president.

But as I said, I'm not that politically savvy.

I'm an athlete and as I said, I hope it's all over soon.

It is a tough situation for both sides, he said at a press conference.

The 36-year-old is still criticized as he has chosen to keep his profile picture on Instagram, where he poses next to Putin.

On the same platform, former Olympic medalists such as Yevgeny Plusenko, Svetlana Chorkina and Ilya Chernousov have published photos of Zätat or supported Vladimir Putin.

Those who go against the flow

At least 13,000 Russians are said to have been detained after protesting against the war.

The last free media have been shut down and it is no longer permissible to call the war a war.

Despite this, there are still examples of Russian athletes who have taken a stand against the war.

Before the new Russian censorship laws came into full force, tennis player Andrej Rublev wrote "No war please" on a TV camera.

The national football team's striker Fyodor Smolov and the figure skater Yevgenia Medvedeva have protested against the war on Instagram and together with the tennis icon Maria Sharapova who donate money to the victims of the war in Ukraine are some examples.

- Considering the obvious difficulties of being Russian at all, regardless of whether you are in or outside Russia and expressing dissenting opinions, it must be said that they make a strong effort that they believe in, says Pär Gustafsson, security policy analyst at FOI. 

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Putin's stars - sports propaganda war