Former Chess Champ Kasparov Fears Putin Can 'Turn Middle East Ablaze'

Former world chess champion and Vladimir Putin critic, Garry Kasparov says when it comes to oil, Russia’s leader will “create panic” to prop-up prices.

In an interview with the FOX Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo, Kasparov said “there’s so much oil available and Putin knows that the only way to keep the prices up is to create panic

Kasparov expressed his fears over Putin building relationships in the Middle East.

“We just got reports that [the] Russian military is underway to Syria. They are building a presence there. I’m sure there is an alliance with Russia and Iran, trying to take over the control of the region and I’m afraid that with America leading from behind Putin has a very good chance of turning [the] Middle East ablaze,” he said.

Kasparov compared Putin’s Russia to the Soviet Union Cold War era.

“Putin, unlike [the] Soviet Union doesn’t have so many friends around. So there’s no Communist system that has been opposing the free world. He’s much weaker, by the way, than [the] Soviet Union... but he is desperate -- he has nukes at his disposal and what is most important--he doesn’t have the same strong opposition in the West,” he said.

Despite efforts to improve their relationship with China, Kasparov isn’t confident they will reach a deal to build a pipeline.

“I just saw a statistic this morning that Russia dropped… from the top 50 Chinese trading partners. It’s too complicated, too expensive. Yes, it offers Putin a little bit of… bargaining position against the West but at the end of the day it’s China that is leading in this relationship,” he said.

Kasparov discussed where Russia stands on the global stage.

“Putin has no other option but to… continue his aggressive policies because he needs to find an argument for [the] Russian public -- why things are getting worse on a regular basis and the only explanation, ‘we’re besieged by enemies Russia is the besieged fortress,’” he said.

Kasparov said Putin’s proposal to eliminate the U.S. dollar is an act of desperation.

“He will be trying some desperate measures. But again let’s not underestimate him because to oppose freaks like Putin… you need political will here,” he said.