Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov has been placed on Russia's international wanted list after warning that Vladimir Putin is planning an invasion of the Baltic states, potentially leading to conflict between British and Russian forces.
Kasparov, 63, a prominent Kremlin critic living in exile, faces “politically-motivated” charges of “justifying terrorism” in absentia. He argued that Putin, facing a “dead end” in Ukraine, may seek a small victory over NATO by seizing territory in Estonia or Latvia to compensate for losses in Ukraine.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Kasparov said: “Putin is clearly at a dead end in Ukraine. The front line has frozen, he can do practically nothing there, with mere gains and enormous losses. A dictator in his position needs some kind of success.” He suggested Putin could target the Estonian city of Narva or Daugavpils in Latvia, both Russian-speaking areas near the border.
Kasparov warned that British troops stationed in Estonia—around 900 soldiers—could be drawn into fighting without waiting for NATO's Article 5 collective defence decision. “Nobody is going to wait for orders from Brussels,” he said. “The Estonians are clearly saying that the British brigade will fight alongside the Estonians without waiting to hear what Brussels says.”
The chess grandmaster added that the likelihood of such a provocation “is growing every day.” He claimed Putin seeks “to inspire people with the idea that we defeated NATO” through a limited incursion.
