Garry Kasparov Profile picture
Jan 2, 2024 6 tweets 2 min read Read on X
🎯 Inconstancy is deadly. It also further exposes the futility of defense-only support. A nation cannot long survive under constant barrages even if they shoot down 90%. They have to be able to go on offense, to destroy the launchers, to raise the costs for Russia.
Allowing Putin to murder Ukrainian civilians daily for "as long as it takes" is unacceptable. If its allies want to war to end, Ukraine must be armed to win. If this doesn’t happen, Putin believes he can wait out Western aid.
How pathetic it is that after two years of Putin's all-out war on Ukraine, EU & US support wavers more than China, Iran, and North Korea's for Russia. The free world has every advantage except will. Economic & military might to crush Russia in Ukraine 10 times over and it sits.
The cost will be far higher when NATO is involved directly. And why wouldn’t Putin do it, after its most powerful member states keep backing down now? Remember, the risk isn’t if Russia can win, it's if Putin thinks the West won’t fight. Same for Taiwan.
NATO is a piece of paper in the end, and without the collective will to fight, its defense promises are worthless. When Russia increases hybrid warfare against Poland and Latvia, will the US and Germany rush to their aid or find more excuses? What does Putin see now?
The Republicans are blocking Ukraine aid so they can say Biden wasted billions if things get worse. The White House can refute that cynical ploy by using executive power to do what is right for American interests by seizing Russian assets and arming Ukraine to win now.

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More from @Kasparov63

Mar 25
How far down is the Trump admin on the autocracy fuckup checklist? Deny, lie, attack the source, attack the media, say it was someone else, say it was no big deal, say it was a brilliant maneuver, boast about it, create new scandal. Let’s see how good at Putinization they are.
Never admit error, never apologize, always double down, always counterattack, always distract. It’s better to be twice a liar and do more damage than for Dear Leader to show weakness by admitting error or apologizing to those harmed.
Trump appointed amateurs and known security risks whose only job is to please him and Senate Republicans enthusiastically confirmed all of them. Realize that Goldberg is the tip of the iceberg. It was a lucky fluke. The stupidity and corruption you don’t see is far bigger.
Read 4 tweets
Mar 16
A core point we’ve been trying to make for years is that "let Ukraine win" hasn’t been tried yet. From Obama’s naive peace-mongering to Biden & Europe's love of the status quo to Trump’s open embrace of Russia's goals, Ukraine winning simply hasn’t been given a chance.
The absurd idea of Russian invincibility was collapsed by Prighozin’s mutiny, Ukraine’s Kursk op, Russia's need for Iranian & NK weapons and even NK soldiers, and the tiny amount of UKR territory taken against massive RU casualties. All despite regularly starving UKR of support.
Meanwhile, despite European profiteering with trade with secondary countries, Europe funding Putin’s war with energy purchases, China's support, and now Trump holding out opening US trade and lifting sanctions, Russia continues to implode, as all dictatorships must.
Read 6 tweets
Mar 16
This whole conversation takes place in an alternate universe where Russia didn’t invade Ukraine unprovoked, bombard Ukrainian cities to the ground, commit thousands of documented war crimes, or couldn’t end the war tomorrow if Putin chose to.
Trump makes demands of Ukraine and even removes resources vital for its defense. Russia demands impossible concessions that would become the end of Ukraine as an independent nation. Meanwhile, no demands are made of Russia, no concessions asked.
Does anyone who has watched Trump in action over the last two months believe for a moment he has the capacity or desire to negotiate a tough agreement with Vladimir Putin? Everything from this White House has been about how to force Ukraine to surrender and reward Russia.
Read 7 tweets
Mar 13
The question is if Witkoff is there to represent American interests or Trump and Musk’s personal interests. Is this to negotiate a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, or more strategizing on how to help Russia take over Ukraine?
Putin doesn’t care what he’s saying, btw. This isn’t a calibrated or as he put it "nuanced" statement. It’s a middle finger, making demands on Ukraine, agreeing to nothing. He’s getting what he wants already and Trump is not applying real consequences to anyone but Ukraine.
Throughout all of this posturing, please remember and repeat that Putin and Russia started this unprovoked war and invasion of Ukraine and could end it tomorrow simply by going home. Russia doesn’t deserve a single inch of Ukraine taken by conquest.
Read 4 tweets
Mar 11
Putin doesn’t want a ceasefire or peace or anything like it. He started this unprovoked war & he needs constant conflict to distract from his disastrous rule in Russia. He’ll accept the destruction of Ukraine and a pause to rearm, but this is a permanent wartime footing.
Escalation is also required. Big wars that require big sacrifices from a repressed citizenry require big enemies. If they aren’t available, you have to make them. This is why Putin has always talked about fighting Europe, the US and NATO, not just Ukraine.
(As an early joke went, the ghost of Stalin asks Putin how the war is going. Putin says we’ve lost half a million men in our war against NATO. Stalin asks how many has NATO lost. Putin: None, they haven’t started fighting yet.)
Read 5 tweets
Mar 7
Talk is cheap. And has there ever been a Trump statement that acknowledges Russia is the invader and could end the war by going home? Ukraine could "get to the table" & Russia would blow up the table. Limiting Ukraine's ability to defend only encourages Russia to keep attacking.
Russia’s latest massive attacks against Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure came right after Trump limited Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and threats to withdraw aid completely. Putin sees weakness to be exploited so why would he stop?
As for Trump’s sanctions threats, let’s see it. There are plenty of expert recommendations on how the US could lead a much tighter squeeze on the Russian economy and Putin‘s cronies. Biden didn’t and I don’t think Trump will. Some superficial Kremlin-approved PR, maybe.
Read 4 tweets

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