Tag: Gorbachev

Russian ‘Federalism’ Now Means As Little As It Did In Soviet Times

April 3, 2015

Staunton, April 2 — Moscow now runs the federal subjects in much the same hyper-centralized way the Soviet Politburo did before Gorbachev’s perestroika, despite the name of the country now being the Russian Federation and Moscow routinely insisting that Ukraine which is less centralized than Russia, must “federalize,” according to Vadim Shtepa. After the USSR […]

Russia This Week: Gorbachev Confirms There Was No NATO ‘Non-Expansion’ Pledge (October 13-19)

October 18, 2014

Updated Daily. This week’s issue: – Soldiers’ Mothers Activist Arrested, Had Pressed Cases of Russian Soldiers in Killed in Ukraine – Gorbachev Confirms There Was No NATO ‘Non-Expansion’ Pledge – Poland Arrests Russian Lt. Colonel and Lawyer on Suspicion of ‘Espionage’ – Two American Journalism Professors Detained in St. Petersburg at Workshop – Harassment Continues […]

Kremlin Demand for Role in Ukrainian Affairs ‘Unheard Of,’ Former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Says

September 16, 2014

Staunton, September 16 – Moscow’s demands for a voice in the definition of the policies of the Ukrainian state are “something unheard of in the contemporary world,” Georgy Kunadze, who served as Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation at the beginning of the Yeltsin period, says. “It is impossible to satisfy them,” he continues […]

Sending Russian Troops into Ukraine Could Lead to World War, Former Soviet Defense Minister Says

June 23, 2014

Staunton, June 21 – If any more evidence were needed to prove that Vladimir Putin is far more reckless and aggressive than his predecessors at the end of Soviet times, it has been provided by Dmitry Yazov, who served as Soviet defense minister from May 1987 until being dismissed for his participation in the August […]

Is Federalization Now Putin’s Strategy for Undermining All of Russia’s Neighbors?

April 14, 2014

Staunton, April 13 – The vehemence of Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s opposition to Moscow’s proposal for the federalization of Ukraine suggests that this Russian demand may not be an ad hoc position reflecting uniquely Ukrainian situation but part of a broader strategy to break and ultimately re-subordinate neighboring countries. Not only would such an approach […]

Restoration of Something Like USSR Ultimately ‘Inevitable,’ Gorbachev Aide Says

April 12, 2014

Staunton, April 12 – Boris Slavin, an aide to former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, says that in his “personal” view, “sooner or later the restoration of a state like the USSR will be achieved,” although he said that “of course, this will not be a unification in the style of the Soviet Union.” He says […]

‘Oil Weapon’ Will Not Make Russia Go the Way of the USSR, Moscow Analysts Say

April 8, 2014

Staunton, April 8 – Many in both Moscow and the West believe that the US destroyed the USSR by driving down oil prices and could do the same thing with the Russian Federation now, but in fact, the West did not deploy the oil weapon that effectively in the past and could not do so […]

Kremlin’s Anti-Western Mythology Dangerously Self-Destructive, Milov Says

March 25, 2014

Staunton, March 25 – The Kremlin’s anti-Western mythology is now so widespread that many in Moscow and some in the West accept it as a given and fail to understand how it reflects a specific political program and how dangerous and self-destructive it is for those who are putting it about, according to Vladimir Milov. […]