Garry Kasparov (Garik Weinstein) is the 13th World Chess Champion, international grandmaster, author, and political activist. He is the Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) and co-founder of the Free Russia Forum. Born on April 13, 1963, in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR. Since 2013, he has lived in exile (United States, Croatia), facing political persecution by Russian authorities.
Long before the full-scale invasion, Kasparov was one of the fiercest critics of Vladimir Putin's regime. In 2014, he vehemently condemned the annexation of Crimea, describing it as an international crime and a violation of international law. In his interviews and his book "Winter Is Coming," he warned the West that impunity would inevitably lead to a major war.
...Crimea is Putin's sacred myth. No Crimean myth—no Putin... The advance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine deep into the Crimean isthmus will create a fundamentally different political reality in Russia.
Garry Kasparov's stance on the war in Ukraine
Following February 24, 2022, Kasparov took an unequivocal stance of total support for Ukraine, advocating for Russia's decisive military defeat. He co-founded the Russian Anti-War Committee, which seeks to counter the aggression. Unlike some figures in the Russian opposition, he openly declares the necessity of aiding the Ukrainian military:
There is a major debate over whether one can help the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For me, that question never existed from day one—not just that you can, but that you must, because this is a war waged against Putin's regime. A Ukrainian victory means that we must help Ukraine.
Kasparov regularly criticizes Western leaders for dragging their feet on weapons deliveries. In August 2024, he even took out a full-page advertisement in the German newspaper Bild to appeal directly to Chancellor Olaf Scholz:
Give Ukraine the military aid it genuinely needs.
Designation as a "terrorist" in Russia
In retaliation for his vigorous anti-war stance and vocal support for Ukraine, Russian authorities escalated their persecution of the chess grandmaster:
- In May 2022, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation designated Kasparov a "foreign agent."
- On March 6, 2024, Rosfinmonitoring added him to its registry of terrorists and extremists.
- In October 2024, the FSB declared the Anti-War Committee he co-founded a "terrorist community."
Kasparov is convinced that the war can only end with the liberation of all occupied territories, including Crimea:
We must proceed from the premise that no other outcome to this war exists other than a Ukrainian victory. Anything else merely represents a frozen conflict... The fall of Putin will be the direct consequence of Russia's defeat in the war.
Criticism of NATO and Trump's "deal"
On November 24, 2025, at the Halifax International Security Forum (HISF), Garry Kasparov sharply condemned initiatives that entail concessions to Russia. He stated that such proposals jeopardize Ukraine and the security of Europe as a whole. In his words, it is Ukraine that currently holds back the Russian army:
Russian tanks would already be in Poland had Ukraine not held the line.
Kasparov also accused Western politicians of attempting to "sell out Ukraine" for their own narrow interests:
How can we seriously debate an agreement brokered by Trump's business partner? This is a real estate transaction designed to enrich the Trump family and sell out Ukraine.
He criticized NATO for losing its resolve, noting that the Alliance had failed to signal a clear readiness to defend its members. Meanwhile, Ukraine, as he pointed out, has for several years fulfilled the very core purpose for which NATO was created—effectively shielding Europe from Russian aggression.
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