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Union of unfree republics: from dawn to dusk

Details: 07 December 2021; Ekaterina Mishina

The end of December marks the 30th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, resulting in the emergence of 15 new states, formerly Soviet republics, on the territory of the former superpower. The first line of the Soviet anthem—“Unbreakable union of free republics”—was only partially true. While formally free to secede from the Union, no Soviet republic ever attempted to exercise that right until Gorbachev’s reforms. And at the first attempt, the Union categorically refused to acknowledge the independence of the republics that sought to leave the “brotherly family of peoples.” Even at the dusk of its existence the Soviet Union firmly believed in remaining unbreakable, even in violation of its own Constitution.

Details: Analysis

Is America getting Russia wrong? Or is Russia getting the world wrong?

Details: 06 December 2021; Liya Wizevich

Amidst growing tensions between the United States and Russia due to the latter’s military escalation in Ukraine, two experts, Fiona Hill and Andrea Kendall-Taylor, discussed the nature of Moscow’s relationships with Kyiv, the intersection of Russian and Chinese interests, and the critical misunderstandings that exist in Washington about these relationships.

Details: Analysis

Power vertical reloaded: Russia’s upcoming law on public administration

Details: 01 December 2021; András Tóth-Czifra

On December 9, the bill "on the general principles of organizing public power" was passed by Russia's State Duma in the second reading. Its real goal is not to change titles or “zero out” gubernatorial terms, but to change the ways the federal authorities handle relations with regional elites. This makes it especially consequential and, by the standards of today’s Russian politics, hotly contested.

Details: Analysis

The aggravation of the situation in Ukraine is in Moscow’s favor

Details: 26 November 2021; Mykola Vorobiov

The Russian escalation across the Ukrainian border, tensions between Kyiv and Minsk, and a possible energy crisis as the cold season approaches could further push down the declining ratings of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will need to act more assertively against his opponents. This can provoke a serious conflict with Ukraine, which will work to Moscow’s advantage.

Details: Analysis

The ballot, not the bullet: Russia’s pursuit of a geopolitical buffer zone

Details: 24 November 2021; Michael Wasiura*

For centuries, Russian rulers have sought to maintain a physical buffer zone between themselves and any potential foreign invader. Even today, this historical characteristic of Kremlin psychology is cited as an explanation for Moscow’s attempts to maintain implicit control over political developments in independent Ukraine and Belarus. In a modern context, however, it is not the encroachment of NATO tanks, airplanes, or missiles that poses the greatest existential threat to Russia’s ruling class—it is the spread of free and fair elections.

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