Garry Kasparov labels Vladimir Putin’s regime as a war-driven dictatorship that will keep expanding aggression unless it is decisively defeated. He stresses that Ukraine’s military victory is essential, both for Ukraine’s survival and for the democratic future in Russia. He portrays Putin as the head of a mafia-like, imperial system whose survival now depends on permanent war.
Core points about Putin – Kasparov argues that after more than two decades in power, Putin’s only real objective is personal and regime survival, and war has become the main tool to achieve that. He describes Putin’s Russia as a mafia or fascist structure built around one man, with institutions hollowed out, and political life effectively extinguished. In his view, Putin sees Ukraine not as a neighbour but as a necessary step toward restoring a “Greater Russia.”
Views on Russian opposition – Kasparov says genuine opposition can now only operate outside Russia because internal dissent is crushed by censorship, repression, and “foreign agent” laws. He criticizes many Russian opposition figures for refusing to confront Russia’s imperial mindset. He stresses that every Russian bears some degree of collective responsibility for the war, even if individual responsibility differs, and rejects the idea that this is simply “Putin’s war” rather than Russia’s war.
On Ukraine and the war – Kasparov repeatedly states that “victory for Ukraine means freedom for Russia,” arguing that only a clear Ukrainian military victory can open the way to change inside Russia. He warns that any ceasefire without defeating Putin’s forces would be used by the Kremlin to regroup for further aggression and that compromises over Ukrainian territory would only whet Putin’s appetite.
Warnings to Europe and the West – Kasparov argues that Putin’s ambitions extend well beyond Ukraine and that Russia has been preparing for a broader confrontation aimed at “destroying free Europe.” He has warned that if Russian forces are not decisively defeated in Ukraine, the next step could be limited provocations or incursions against NATO’s eastern members, such as Estonia or Latvia, to test whether Article 5 will be enforced. Article 5 is the core mutual-defense clause that says that an armed attack on one NATO member in the treaty area is treated as an attack on all, and that each member must help the attacked state with whatever actions it deems necessary, including military force.
Here are some of the inverviews with the legendary World Champion on the subject:
25-minute interview on TVP WORLD on October 29th
13-minute follow-up broadcast last week
35-minute interview with War & Politics 24 a few days ago
