“I understand the consequences from my Motherland, word’s going to come out and how they’re going to react over there, but I think it’s really important for people to know my point of view on that. And I think it’s important for young guys, Russian players, to know it’s OK to speak out. I just have a hope — maybe it’s a child hope — but I hope my words can change something in this world. I think it’s important to speak out.”
“I’m definitely aware of the consequences I’m going to get. I probably can’t go back to my Motherland, where I grew up, my city where I grew up, and I’m OK with that,” he said. “I know how it works over there. It’s gonna be big propaganda, TV channels are going to be talking about me, and be pushing the agenda, saying, ‘He’s brainwashed by the West,’ that kind of thing. They’ll say I’m watching CNN too much or something, but I don’t. It’s a clear view. You see bad and you see good things, and that’s my opinion.”