Bulletin n. 1/2015
June 2015
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
    • Götz Elias
    It's geopolitics, stupid: explaining Russia's Ukraine policy
    in Global Affairs , Volume 1, Issue 1 ,  2015 ,  3-10
    What lies behind Russia's annexation of Crimea and its confrontational policies towards Ukraine? This article challenges the widely held perspective that President Putin's personality and his security-service background is the central driver of Russia's Ukraine policy. Instead, it puts forward a geopolitical explanation that emphasizes three factors: Ukraine's geographic location; the EU's increased activism in Eastern Europe; and the pro-western orientation of the new government in Kiev. Together, these three factors provide Russia with a strong incentive to pursue an assertive policy towards Ukraine. Moscow's main aim is to regain some control over Kiev's foreign policy orientation and, if that is not possible, to establish a belt of pro-Russian provinces in Ukraine's east. The findings of this article suggest, moreover, that the West's current policies towards Russia are ineffective and potentially counterproductive. A major readjustment is urgently needed. Full text available online at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23340460.2015.960184
    ©2001 - 2020 - Centro Studi sul Federalismo - P. IVA 94067130016