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Image Credentials: Image Title: Kasparov: Ukraine’s Victory Is Essential for Europe, Crimea Would Mark the End of Russia’s Imperial Dream. Source: (chatgpt.com) Date: June 2026. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (chatgpt.com) by Open Chronicle and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle
Former world chess champion and Russian opposition figure Garry Kasparov has argued that Ukraine’s victory over Russia is essential not only for European security but also for any meaningful democratic transformation inside Russia. Speaking in an interview with Euroscope, Kasparov said the liberation of Crimea would deliver the decisive psychological blow needed for Russians to accept that their country’s imperial era has come to an end.
Kasparov, the 13th World Chess Champion and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s Platform for Dialogue with Russian Democratic Forces in Exile, said lasting peace in Europe cannot be achieved without a clear Ukrainian victory.
According to him, support for Ukraine should remain the central strategic objective of the democratic world.
“Ukraine’s victory is a mandatory condition for establishing peace in Europe,” Kasparov said. He added that it also represents Russia’s only realistic opportunity to begin rebuilding itself as a democratic state capable of returning to the international community.
Ukraine’s Victory and Russia’s Future
Kasparov argued that Russia’s defeat is inseparable from any hope of political reform within the country.
He maintained that only a decisive military failure would force Russian society to confront decades of imperial thinking and create conditions for genuine democratic change.
“The only chance for Russia to begin its road back to civilized society is Ukraine’s victory and, accordingly, Russia’s defeat,” he said.
Kasparov also criticized politicians who describe themselves as democratic while refusing to acknowledge what he considers fundamental realities, including that Russia’s invasion is criminal, Vladimir Putin lacks legitimacy, and Crimea belongs to Ukraine.
He noted that even today, many Russian opposition figures hesitate when asked to recognize Ukrainian sovereignty over Crimea.
Russian Imperialism Remains a Global Threat
The veteran opposition activist described modern Russia as the world’s last empire, warning that the Kremlin’s ambitions extend well beyond Ukraine.
According to Kasparov, Russian imperialism threatens not only Ukraine but also Georgia, Belarus, and the wider European continent.
He argued that Moscow’s geopolitical ambitions have become one of the principal sources of instability in international affairs and warned that the broader consequences of the war affect global security.
Putin Cannot Afford Defeat
Kasparov said Russian history demonstrates that military defeat has often been the catalyst for major political upheaval.
He argued that authoritarian rulers who launch wars must ultimately emerge victorious to preserve their grip on power.
“If a tsar starts a war, he must win it,” Kasparov said, adding that historical precedent suggests unsuccessful wars frequently trigger revolutions or the collapse of political systems.
For that reason, he believes President Vladimir Putin will continue the conflict for as long as Russia possesses the military and economic resources to sustain it.
Crimea as the Symbolic Turning Point
Kasparov identified Crimea as the symbolic center of Russia’s imperial identity.
He argued that only the restoration of Ukrainian control over the peninsula would provide the shock necessary to convince ordinary Russians that the imperial project has failed.
“The only thing that can make a Russian citizen understand that the empire is dead is the Ukrainian flag in Sevastopol,” he said.
He described Crimea as deeply embedded in Russia’s national mythology and suggested that its liberation would represent a historic turning point, both for Ukraine and for Russia itself.
A Defining Choice for Russia
Looking beyond the current conflict, Kasparov said Russia would eventually face two possible futures.
One option, he argued, would see the country become increasingly dependent on China. The other would require acknowledging responsibility for the war, paying reparations, recognizing the sovereignty of neighboring states, and rebuilding relations based on international law.
Kasparov concluded that only through such a transformation could Russia eventually rejoin the democratic world after the end of the war.
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