Russian government welcomes Ovechkin's 'social movement' in support of Putin

Alex Ovechkin's ongoing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin is being well received back home.

On Thursday, the Washington Capitals superstar launched a "social movement" to reinforce his place on Team Putin, much to the delight of the Russian government.

"We obviously welcome in general Sasha's desire to express support for our president, especially from abroad," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, referring to Ovechkin, according to The Associated Press.

Ovechkin is "a very famous Russian, a very successful Russian, and we really know that he values our president highly," Peskov added.

A presidential election is set for March 18, but Putin hasn't confirmed whether or not he will run once again. Either way, he knows he'll have support over in Washington.