John (Ivan) Jaworsky. "Weaponizing" Federalism? Russia and the Debate on Federalism/Decentralization in Ukraine and Other Post-Soviet States

There is a broad consensus on the need for administrative decentralization in Ukraine. Most discussions of this topic, however, downplay and sometimes demonize federalism as a viable option for the country, largely because of the way in which Russia's political leadership has aggressively promoted Ukraine's federalization. To understand the nature of recent debates on decentralization/federalism in Ukraine, and Russia's role in these debates, it is important to examine the logic of Moscow's earlier proposals for the federalization of Georgia and Moldova, as well as the current state of federalism in the Russian Federation. The presentation will also briefly address the nature and implications of Ukraine's recent decentralization initiatives.

25 November 2015