Russian President Vladimir Putin is not preparing to end the war against Ukraine; on the contrary, he may escalate tensions after the parliamentary elections scheduled for September. This opinion was expressed in an interview with Politico by Russian opposition politician and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, as reported by [nra.lv](https://nra.lv/pasaule/525582-kasparovs-draud-jauns-kars-eiropa.htm). In his assessment, Ukraine's strikes on Russian military logistics and energy infrastructure will not deter the Kremlin from continuing the war. "Putin has always escalated when he felt he was in a difficult position... The most natural form of escalation is provocation," Kasparov stated. He emphasized that he sees no signs of Russia preparing for a peaceful settlement. "In the Russian propaganda machine, in the actions of the Russian government, in Putin's speeches, there is not a single sign that the Kremlin is preparing for peace. All signals point in one direction: 'War, war, war,'" the politician said. According to Kasparov, one possible scenario may not be a large-scale offensive, but a limited military or hybrid provocation on NATO's eastern flank. He suggested that Russia might attempt to test the alliance's readiness to fulfill its collective defense commitments, for example, by provoking a crisis in one of the Baltic states. "Putin may invade one of the NATO countries to see if other alliance states, primarily the United States, will respond," Kasparov believes. He stated that if the U.S. does not provide the necessary support to its ally, it will signal weakness to the Kremlin regarding NATO. As one of the signs of preparation for further escalation, Kasparov also mentioned the legislative changes being discussed in Russia, which he believes could simplify the mobilization process, including by eliminating mandatory medical examinations for certain categories of conscripts. The opposition politician urged European countries to continue supporting Ukraine and to increase sanctions pressure on Russia. "We must ensure that Putin loses. Because as soon as Putin loses this war, he will lose power," he stated. Kasparov also noted that Ukraine's strikes on Russian military and industrial targets are already affecting the Russian economy and the interests of part of the elite. At the same time, his statements about possible further actions by Russia are political assessments and forecasts, not information about decisions made by the Kremlin. In recent weeks, the leaders of Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have also publicly stated the risk of possible Russian military or hybrid provocations against the countries on NATO's eastern flank, citing assessments from security and intelligence services. Thus, the issue of potential threats remains one of the key topics in the region's security sphere.