Kasparov likens Putin to Hitler, urges West to act

WARSAW, Poland — Russian chess master and political activist Garry Kasparov has compared President Vladimir Putin's "one-man dictatorship" to the rule of Adolf Hitler, warning that if the West fails to stop him now the price for doing so could grow higher.

Kasparov also argued that Western leaders should not try to appease Putin in a search for strategic ground with him on issues such as Iran and the fighting in Syria and Iraq because Putin needs the instability to try to justify staying in power.

Kasparov said, "Pretending that Putin has a certain strategic interest that can be shared, it's wrong. I don't see any real strategic issue where his interest could be common with Europe's."

Kasparov, a dissident who now lives in New York, spoke Thursday at the Warsaw Security Forum.