Suchergebnisse

A case study of Russia focuses on President Vladimir Putin's attempts to recentralize Russia & abolish Boris Yeltsin's legacy of "asymmetric federalism." An overview of Russian approaches to federalism since the breakup of the Soviet Union gives special attention to the impact of both Yeltsin's policies & the first war in Chechnya. Yeltsin's laissez-faire approach toward the regions encouraged their aspirations for further autonomy. Putin's project of regional reform is described, noting that his system of "super-region" is headed primarily by former KGB officers, police, & military officials, a situation that has led to a significant decline in the self-confidence of individual regions. It is argued that Putin's "neo-tsarist/military/KGB" plan for regional reform threatens individual rights & regional autonomy without offering any protection for the freedom & economic well-being of Russia's citizens. Consideration is given to the disastrous possibility of an authoritarian regime that fails to bring peace & order to the fractured Russian Federation. 15 References. J. Lindroth

As long as President Putin insists on framing the war in Chechnya as a struggle with international terrorism … and as long as the West tacitly acquiesces to his approach, there may be no end to the bloodshed.