Garry Kasparov: In Critical Situation Lukashenka To Join "Kingpin" Putin

According to the politician, dictators always support each other.

The Second Forum of Free Russia is over in Vilnius. It was visited by notorious political opponents of Vladimir Putin. During three days they debated on alternatives to the Kremlin regime in order to build a new country.

Garry Kasparov was among participants and was interviewed by Belsat.

"I would say that the situation in Russia is following the Belarusian scenario, but the situation is much more hazardous, because Lukashenka has no opportunity to do harm to the outside world. He only exploits his own population and inspires other dictators. The hazard initiated by Putin is much more serious. We observe a one-man dictatorship with an increasing use of elements of Nazi ideology.

Putin has made confrontation to the entire world his credo and this is the objective the Russian propaganda is aimed at... The Russian propaganda has recently started to play crazy games with images of nuclear war. I think this is an extreme form of political despair of the dictator who is isolated, but has enormous potential to create tension."

According to Kasparov, any form of political struggle in Russia is meaningless, since they all are under the control of the Kremlin.

"It is obvious that changes in Russia can occur only in the result of a major foreign policy defeat. It should not be a military one. While Putin is able to maintain the illusion of invulnerability, change will not happen. Changes need time to occur, and this time will come. In this regard, the Vilnius forum is much more effective than similar events, since it is aimed at the future.

The Putin regime spends billions on propaganda in English, including on propaganda among the Russian-speaking population, so it has some results."

Dictators always support each other, Kasparov believes.

"All confrontations between Lukashenka and Putin are poor. There is always some kind of conflict like in mafia, but on global issues their attitude coincides. Lukashenka has found an good maneuver when he wants something from the West, he demonstrates his desire to distance from Russia, although it is clear that in a critical situation he will join his "kingpin".

Kasparov believes that only economic sanctions of the West can bring down the Putin's Russia.

"The question is not about lack of tools in the West, but it misses the political will, and this follows from the fact that we now start to understand the scale of penetration of the Putin's culture in the financial, economic, political circles in the West."