Garry Kasparov pushes plan for 'Russian Taiwan' in West

Read also: 'Putin is war': Russian opposition figure Kasparov explains why war in Ukraine will continue

Brain drain as a strategy

Kasparov proposes that Europe organize Russian citizens who oppose Vladimir Putin to create an alternative Russia abroad.

In his opinion, this is one of the most promising areas of work for the West, especially if the war drags on.

According to Kasparov, only a few hundred people are currently fighting in the Freedom of Russia Legion, which is a drop in the ocean. He stresses that it is important to attract those who are currently in Russia and working for Putin's system but could leave.

Kasparov emphasizes that an effective way to undermine the Kremlin's ability to wage war is through brain drain.

"Putin has enough soldiers to throw them on the front line for now, but he may not have enough engineers, computer scientists, and financiers. We are talking about several hundred thousand people," he says.

Creating a so-called Russian Taiwan

The opposition figure proposes creating organizational structures for these people based on the Berlin Declaration and building another Russia under the white-blue-white flag, a symbol of Russian protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He is convinced that this could seriously undermine the Putin regime's ability to wage war, although he acknowledges the risks of the FSB using the initiative for provocations.

When asked whether these people should physically move to Europe, Kasparov answers in the affirmative.

"Yes, they must leave; they must simply physically leave there. Yes, many of them left back then, in 2022. More than a million people, and some estimate up to three million, left and were forced to return because their passports expired. Putin immediately said that to get a passport, you have to return to Russia. In other words, Putin realized that he couldn't let them go. The West did nothing," says the politician.

Kasparov emphasizes the importance of this potential for weakening Putin's regime.

"Allow them to leave. It's just that this is a potential that Putin cannot replace with anything else. No Indians or Chinese that he brings in can do this," the opposition figure notes.

He adds that many of these people have a negative attitude toward the war, and their departure would allow their intellectual potential to be used against the Kremlin's aggression.

"Take the people out, give them a chance. This is where the platform (in PACE, ed.) can play a role. Because we have to start forming a Russian Taiwan. Moreover, this is important for the future," Kasparov stresses.

He also notes that training such personnel would help create a Russia that would have normal relations with Ukraine and Europe.

In addition, in this interview, Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov said that if Putin invades Latvia or Estonia, European leaders are unlikely to dare to give the order to fire back.

He also shares his opinion on whether the war could end while Putin remains in power.

For more details, read the full interview.