Russian opposition urges West: Seize chance to dethrone Putin

Vladimir Putin cannot win the war in Ukraine because his defeat is the only chance to build a new, democratic Russia. The Russian opposition and the West cannot squander this opportunity again, as they did in the 1990s, says Russian oppositionist Vladimir Kara-Murza, recently released from prison.

Vladimir Putin must not be allowed to win the war in Ukraine. Moreover, he must not be allowed to come out of it with any semblance of dignity. This man has been in power for 25 years and since he came to power, he brings death, blood, suffering, pain, murders, and war. That's just how he is. He will never change. And if he is allowed to come out of this war with dignity, then in a year or two, we will talk about another invasion, another aggression, another crime committed by his regime, said Kara-Murza on Friday at a press conference at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank in London.

Kara-Murza, who was released in early August as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and the West, emphasized that the only strategic way out of the current crisis is the emergence of a new Russia. It should have a government that respects the rights and freedoms of citizens, adheres to civilized norms of international behavior, and is legally and democratically elected.

He recalled that both the Romanov empire and the Soviet regime collapsed suddenly and unexpectedly. Kara-Murza warned that the same could happen in the foreseeable future with Putinism. Therefore, he emphasized, both the Russian opposition and the West should be prepared for such a scenario to not waste the chance for Russia's democratization.

According to Kara-Murza, a key element of this process will be "a process of truth and reconciliation in Russian society." All countries that have successfully transitioned from authoritarianism to democracy have gone through moral reckoning, public reconciliation, and accounting for the crimes committed by the regimes. Archives were opened, and trials were held for those responsible for crimes against other nations or within their own countries. We never had this in Russia in the 1990s, and in my opinion, this is the main reason for everything that has been happening since 1999, when Putin came to power, emphasized Kara-Murza.

The oppositionists also pointed out the need to prepare a road map for the future democratic reintegration of Russia with Europe and the international order based on principles. This is not only in our interest but, above all, in the interest of Ukraine because there will be no stable, peaceful, and secure Ukraine without a peaceful and democratic Russia, as long as a murderous and aggressive dictatorship rules the Kremlin, he added.

Kara-Murza emphasized that the democratization process in Russia must be genuine, and the West must not be deceived again by "facade democratization." I understand the emotions, but we can't base long-term strategic policy on emotions. He argued that it must be rational, intellectual, and guided by the real interests of Europe, the world, and humanity.

Kara-Murza also addressed concerns that a change in power after Putin could bring about an even worse regime. What could be worse than a deranged dictator with an atomic bomb who is destroying a peaceful country in the middle of Europe, imprisoning hundreds of people, and killing his political opponents? Can anything really be worse? he asked.

He emphasized that a key goal is to create a parliamentary system instead of a presidential one in Russia. The system is bad. Our goal as the Russian democratic opposition is not to replace a bad tsar with a good one. He explained there is no such thing as a good tsar, adding that Russia must follow a path of democratization similar to the one taken by Italy, Germany, Spain, or Latin American countries.

Although Russia's democratic transformation will not be easy or quick, Kara-Murza is convinced that the Russian people are capable of overcoming the "trauma inflicted on our society by decades of Soviet rule, and now by a quarter-century of Putinism."

Kara-Murza concluded by expressing hope that Vladimir Putin will face trial for his crimes. I want people who lost their families and relatives in Ukraine to see his face when he sits in the dock, just like Slobodan Milosevic did years ago, he emphasized.