'Bankrupt Putin's War Machine:' Russian Chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov Comes Out In Support Of Ukraine

Russian chess Grandmaster and political activist Garry Kasparov came down heavily on Russia and President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. 

What Happened: In a Twitter thread, Kasparov called for support of Ukraine militarily on an immediate basis. 

“Support Ukraine militarily, immediately, everything but boots on the ground,” wrote Kasparov. 

“Bankrupt Putin's war machine. Freeze & seize Russia's finances & those of him and his gang,” said Kasparov — in addition to calling for the removal of Russia out of every international and financial institution.

Measures recommended by the anti-Putin activist include the recall of all ambassadors from Russia. “There is no point in talking,” he said.

“The new unified message is ‘stop or be isolated completely,’" he said. "Ban all elements of Putin's global propaganda machine. Turn them off, shut them down, send them home. Stop helping the dictator spread lies [and] hate."

U.S. futures traded lower at press time as Russian troops approached Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures traded 0.5% lower at 33,005 at press time S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures traded 0.6% and 0.8% lower at 4,258 and 13,852.75, respectively. 

On Thursday, SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY closed 1.5% higher at $428.30.

Why It Matters: Kasparov also trained his guns on what he called the fifth column of "Putinists.” He said those range from the far right and left in the European Union to the former President Donald Trump and his followers in the Republican Party in the United States. 

“They may have the right to support a brutal dictator's war in order to criticize Biden, but it's disgusting and anti-American. Do not forget.”

Kasparov said recently that the thing that sticks in his memory is the sound of the prison door locking. He was arrested in what he calls the “vegetarian” times of Putin when people ended up in jail for five or 10 days for peaceful protests, according to a report from The Guardian. 

“For the same peaceful protest against Putin’s dictatorship, you might now end up in jail for five or 10 years,” said Kasparov, according to The Guardian.

Ethereum ETH/USD co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who was born in Russia, also came down heavily against Putin and Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Thursday.

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Photo: Tore Saetre via Wikimedia