"I don’t think that the war will go beyond next year," the Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov said in an interview for TVN24's Michał Sznajder. Asked how long the reign of President Vladimir Putin of Russia would last, the political activist and dissident said he did not know exactly. "But clock is ticking and I think he is at his endgame, if we use chess terminology. It will depend on timing of Ukrainian victory," Kasparov added.
TVN24 and TVN24 BiS anchor Michał Sznajder on Tuesday (May 23) spoke with chess grandmaster and supporter of democracy in Russia Garry Kasparov. The Russian dissident was taking part in Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland 2023 in Warsaw. Asked much time - in his opinion - Vladimir Putin had left as Russia's leader.
"I wish I knew. I don’t know, that’s bad news. But he also doesn’t know – that’s good news," Kasparov replied.
"But clock is ticking and I think he is at his endgame, if we use chess terminology. It will depend on timing of Ukrainian victory," he added.
Furthermore, the Russian activist said "the liberation of Crimean Peninsula and the city of Sevastopol will be the beginning of liberation of Russia from Putin’s fascism".
"We’re hoping it’ll happen soon, but I’m not a military expert to tell you exactly how and when Ukraine is going to break through Russian defense lines."
According to Kasparov, although "Russia is not doing well on the battlefield," "Putin has resources to throw more and more soldiers and old equipment and to compensate for Ukraine’s superiority in skills and in ammunition by numbers".
"I don’t think that the war will go beyond next year," the legendary chess grandmaster said.
"I think that everything I can judge as an amateur, but someone who has analytical skills and ability to put one and one together, I think, next year, Ukrainian advantage on the battlefield will be decisive because they have more ammunition and weapons coming from the West," he argued.
Kasparov also said "Russia will be running out steam, literally and figuratively". "But we hope Ukraine might find some unusual moves as in the latest incursion into Belgorod region that may turn the tables soon."
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH GARRY KASPAROV BELOW
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, TVN24
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: TVN24 BiS