Garry Kasparov demands Ukraine's victory. The Russian chess grandmaster and political activist believes supporting Ukraine militarily is a moral imperative.
What happened?
Garry Kasparov shared his thoughts on the Russian opposition in an interview with the Kyiv Independent. He argued that any chance at Russia becoming a democratic country requires its total military defeat.
The Russian opposition is an odd bunch, says Kasparov. While not supporting Russia's brutal war against Ukraine, they don't want their country to lose.
Why it matters for Garry Kasparov
Kasparov wrote about the dangers posed by Putin's rule for years. His 2015 book, "Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped," outlined Russia's political threat to global security.
Garry Kasparov has repeatedly argued that Russia's imperialistic legacy must be shed. This stance is not widely embraced by other Russian opposition figures.
What comes next?
Kasparov will push back at those who insist it's "Putin's war" rather than Russia's war. He believes the war in Ukraine has shown that communism was merely a facade for an underlying imperialist matrix.
The Ukrainian flag must fly high, says Kasparov. He thinks the idea of the "Russian soul" remains resistant to external influences due to Russian literature being a fertile source of Russian nationalism.
Garry Kasparov thinks American exceptionalism is rooted in tangible concepts like living standards and respect for human rights. Russian exceptionalism, on the other hand, leans more toward the mystical.
Kasparov's friend Yury Afanasyev, a brilliant historian, said Russian literature was one of the most fertile sources of Russian nationalism. Kasparov initially disagreed but now sees his friend was right.
The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for years. Garry Kasparov demands that Ukraine must win, and the West should support them militarily.
Garry Kasparov is a staunch critic of authoritarianism. He has been saying for the past three years that there's only one way to dismantle Russia's imperial matrix: the Ukrainian flag has to fly high.
Kasparov shared his thoughts on the current state of the Russian opposition. He thinks they're looking for a "good tsar" to replace Putin.
The Kyiv Independent edited the interview with Garry Kasparov for length and clarity. Kasparov's words remain a powerful call to action for those who support Ukraine's victory.
Garry Kasparov's book "Winter Is Coming" outlined the dangers of Putin's rule. He has been a vocal critic of the Russian president for years.
The Russian opposition's petition to lift sanctions on Russia is not supported by Garry Kasparov. He believes that supporting Ukraine militarily is the right thing to do.
Garry Kasparov demands Ukraine's victory, and the West should support them. He thinks this is a moral imperative that cannot be ignored.