Russian Opponents to Invasion Hold Third Anti-War Conference in Vilnius

The third Anti-War Conference, organized by Garry Kasparov and other leading Russian activists, has called for the war to end, every inch of occupied Ukraine to be freed, Russian soldiers to be tried according to international law, and Ukraine to be compensated for all losses following Moscow’s brutal invasion.

Kasparov told Kyiv Post that “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin has miscalculated everything about this war and it is all helping to bring the end of his regime nearer.”

He added: “Between the impending economic crisis in Russia, and the high death tolls, it would seem that he is in a quagmire which will ultimately spell his defeat – and Ukraine's victory. Once that happens, those accused of war crimes must be tried by an international court and Ukraine must receive substantial compensation for the losses it has suffered at Putin's hands.”

In relation to the likelihood of being able to bring Russian war criminals to justice, Kasparov was quoted as saying: “It seems to me that the situation is changing every month and every week, if not every day. Putin's regime is committing more and more crimes [and] attacks on civilian infrastructure continue.”

Ivan Tyutrin, a leading Russian opponent of the war and an organizer of the conference, explained to Kyiv Post that the conference was important as “it allows for an exchange of views on the current situation by prominent opposition politicians, experts and representatives of antiwar Russian initiatives.”

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He added that the third conference in Vilnius resulted in the adoption of a resolution prioritizing Ukraine’s victory and maximum assistance to Ukraine.

Leonid Nevzlin said to Kyiv Post that “Putin's war in Ukraine is something out of the history books about the First World War: Just look at the trench warfare and artillery shelling. This is truly a fascist power invading Ukraine and now we are re-living the worst nightmares of the 20^th century. It is unbelievable that we now see what our great grandparents saw.”

However, Nevzlin, recognized for his strong support for Ukraine and decades-long democratic opposition to Putin, said: “I think this is really the end for Putin's Russia and this war must end with Russia's total defeat. By [the time of] our next conference against the war, I hope that we will already be discussing Ukraine's great victory over Russia.”