Garry Kasparov has issued a warning to Poland and the Baltic states that they will be "next" if Russia succeeds in Ukraine.
In contrast to some commentators like Noam Chomsky, Professor of Linguistics at MIT and stern critic of US foreign policy, commentators who partly blame the US and NATO for "undermining" the prospects for peace, Kasparov claims that conflict is part of Putin's strategy and nature.
According to the former chess grandmaster and opposition leader, "Putin is KGB to the core. If joining the West were a certain path to power and wealth, he would do it."
However, Kasparov also criticised the West strongly: "The key [mistake] was the conviction - caused by naivety or corruption - that political and economic relations with the free world would liberalise Putin and his regime. The same mistake was made with regard to China. [...] Not owning up to this error led directly to this war."
In issuing his warning to Poland and the Baltic states, Kasparov said that war at the borders of Russia it is integral to Putin's strategy and that he does not have any values "other than power and money." Kasparov said that the only path to peace is a "free and secure Ukraine" and the "removal of Putin".
Sources: PAP, democracynow.org
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