Kasparov: No hope for peace in Europe because Putin cannot bring his army home

From the Dialog, Dec 23, 2025:

"Kasparov voiced the only way to end the war: "Putin understands well..." 

Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov stated that the Ukrainians can only end the war by military means.

There is no diplomatic way to end the war in Ukraine, so peace talks will lead nowhere, Garry Kasparov said. He also emphasized that next year could prove decisive in many ways, as the strategic picture will finally take shape. 

Kasparov expressed his views on peace talks on the Delfi Lithuania YouTube show.  

"Life makes its own adjustments. The war continues because for Putin, war has become a way to maintain power. Even in the highly unlikely scenario of a pause in Ukraine (I believe the likelihood of this is close to zero), Putin's army, which numbers almost 1 million people, will go elsewhere precisely because under no circumstances will this million, I believe, deranged people ready to kill, be returned to Russia," the opposition politician opined.

Kasparov also pointed out an important nuance: "The return of these people to Russia will create a situation in which the emergence of a new Prigozhin will only be a matter of time, and Putin understands this well. Therefore, the war will continue in all its forms (both hybrid and real on the ground). 2026, in my opinion, will truly be a turning point, because this is the year when the strategic picture must be determined. There is no other option for ending the war other than the defeat of Putin's military machine. Everything else is just wishful thinking or attempts to profit from it, either politically or financially.""