US President Donald Trump reacted to Russian forward Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals breaking the record for most goals in NHL regular season history.
Trump called the Russian athlete "great." He previously made similar remarks about Ovechkin at two rallies held earlier this January at the Capitals' home arena in Washington.
Olympic speed skating champion and State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova commented on Trump's remarks about the Russian forward after he set the all-time goal record in the NHL.
According to her, Ovechkin's achievement came as a symbol of the power of the Russian people.
"I can't even imagine what's going on in Ukraine right now when, amid all this hype, Trump is calling Ovechkin great. It looks like they're in some sort of knockout,” Zhurova said.
On April 6, Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky's longstanding record for most regular season goals in NHL history. He scored his 895th goal during an away game against the New York Islanders.