Former Russian minister warns
If Ukraine loses, it will be the turn of the Baltic states
In an interview, former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov warns of a fire in Europe. If Ukraine were to lose the war, Putin would then turn to the Baltic states, namely Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.
Published: 18:54
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Updated: 32 minutes ago
Mikhail Kasyanov (64) was prime minister under Vladimir Putin (69) in 2000-2004. After his release, he became one of the Kremlin’s most famous critics. Now Putin’s former confidant is warning of the catastrophic consequences for peace in Europe should Ukraine lose the war.
“If Ukraine collapses, the Baltic states will be next,” Kasyanov said in an interview with the AFP news agency. The West cannot make any concessions to Vladimir Putin now.
The war could go on for two more years
Kasyanov firmly rejects the assessment by French President Emmanuel Macron (44) that Putin should not be “humiliated”. It is also critical of Ukraine’s demand to surrender Russia’s territory in order to achieve a peaceful solution. “I think it’s wrong and I hope the West doesn’t go that way,” he says.
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Kasyanov is convinced that the opposition in Russia will unite after this tragedy. Nevertheless, the war is likely to last another year or two, he says. Moreover, it would take almost another ten years to “deputize” Russia.
“Russia is a KGB system”
According to Cassianov, Putin has built a fear-based system over the past 20 years. “These are the achievements of a system that, with the support of Putin as head of state, is operating in an even more cynical and brutal manner than it was in the final phase of the Soviet Union,” he said. In fact, Russia today is “a KGB system based on utter lawlessness.”
The former prime minister left the country shortly after the invasion of Ukraine. Since then, he has been living in exile. Where exactly, it does not reveal – for security reasons. (bra)