Kasparov: Can we coexist with Putin's Russia

Garry Kasparov at the Kyiv Security Forum, translating form the Obozrevatel, May 12:

"How the World Can Live with a Putin-Led Russia

I agree with absolutely everything that was said (at the Forum – Ed.), but the people who spoke came from European countries where Russian propaganda has a huge influence, and this influence generates political consequences. It generates and feeds the forces that support Putin and the war he unleashed in Ukraine. Putin invested huge amounts of money in this, and achieved influence at the highest levels of power – here we can recall politicians like Merkel, who built Europe's energy dependence on Russia, or Sarkozy who, during negotiations with Georgia after Russia's invasion, actually supported the latter. 

So, European politics failed or failed to recognize the threat from Russia in a timely manner. My first article about the existential threat from Putin was published in 2001, and since then I have been talking about this threat constantly, but Europe was reluctant to listen. And even today, in the fourth year of a full-scale war, Europe is still only thinking about how best to help Ukraine. At the same time, North Korea has given Russia more weapons than all of Europe has given to Ukraine. It is a disgrace.

Now I will tell you how Europe should live with Russia under Putin. Russia under Putin is a military camp. And you, in Europe, need to admit that you are already today, right now, in a state of war. And I am not telling you this - Putin is telling you this. He has been openly telling you for years that his goal is revenge for losing the Cold War. You need to be consistent. Ukraine is an open battlefield where Russia uses all means, not only military, but also economic, as well as influence with money on European politicians. And Putin is winning battle after battle, precisely because Europe does not want to understand that it is in a state of war and oppose Putin with all its might. Europe's current actions are ineffective. Sanctions do not work well - business goes through third countries. And the fake "Victory Day" and the parade in Moscow became a demonstration of the union of dictators, led by Putin sitting next to Xi Jinping. This global alliance of dictators, which includes North Korea and other Asian countries, is what makes Putin strong. And the answer to the question: "how to live with Putin" becomes obvious.

You cannot live in peace with Putin's Russia, because the algorithm of its existence is war. All of Russia today is a military camp, military propaganda, military industry. The only way to live with Russia is to destroy this imperial virus that has been infecting Russians for centuries. And this can only be achieved by defeating Russia. In other words, Ukraine must win, and Russia must lose. All other talk that softens this situation, for example, that "we will stay with Ukraine as long as necessary" leads us down the wrong path. We must work together to eliminate imperial thoughts and imperial approaches in Russia - and for this, Russia must lose. There is only one way that can shock the Russian public: the Ukrainian flag must rise in Sevastopol. This will be a shock for them.

Of course, Putin is going to destroy the free world and this is a huge threat not only to Europe but to the whole world. As for Europe, it has not yet been able to overcome even the problems with Hungary and Slovakia, with the far right and the far left in Germany and France. Today, pro-Putin forces are advancing in Europe, they have more and more opportunities. This is a war that cannot be simply "stopped" without defeating Russia. If you want to win, you must realize this. You should have, for example, stopped oil exports from Russia many years ago."