Former world chess champion and Russian opposition figure Garry Kasparov has dismissed ongoing efforts to negotiate peace with Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that the Kremlin has no intention of ending its war against Ukraine.
In an interview with Radio Liberty, Kasparov said international efforts should focus on helping Ukraine achieve victory rather than pursuing negotiations that he believes are unlikely to produce meaningful results.
"If there were a chance for negotiations to resolve the issue through mutual concessions, that would be a different matter. But Putin’s plan has not changed. He has set himself the goal of eliminating Ukraine as an independent state, and he has not abandoned this objective," Kasparov stated.
The former chess champion, who has lived in the United States since 2013 and leads the Free Russia Forum, argued that Russian opposition groups operating in exile should prioritise supporting Ukraine's war effort.
Kasparov also criticised US President Donald Trump over his administration's recent decision to authorise purchases of Russian diesel fuel, accusing the American leader of undermining sanctions against Moscow.
"He continues to serve Putin’s interests. His latest move constitutes a brazen violation of American law, as well as the very sanctions that Trump himself signed into effect. To me, his pressure on Ukraine appears linked to his own desperate situation just three weeks before the election," he said.
Trump has defended the decision to permit Russian diesel purchases, describing it as a measure consistent with US national interests and intended to ease pressure on domestic and international energy markets.
At the same time, the American president has criticised Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, a position that has drawn objections from Ukraine, European governments and some members of the US Congress.
Kasparov maintained that Putin's commitment to continuing the war is reflected in Russia's military spending and official messaging.
He suggested that Ukraine's ability to withstand Russian attacks could ultimately determine the political future of the Kremlin.
"Either Ukraine will break under the attacks on its civilian population, or it will hold firm—in which case the Russian regime will collapse. This does not mean that everything in Russia will suddenly become perfect tomorrow; however, the collapse of a regime always creates a window of opportunity," Kasparov said.
The opposition figure argued that a Russian defeat in Ukraine could create conditions for political change inside Russia, although he acknowledged that the collapse of the current leadership would not automatically guarantee a democratic transition.