Keeping Russia in One Piece will Involve Bloody Wars; Allowing Its Peoples to Go Their Own Way Won’t, Pskov Republic Center Head Says

Paul Goble
    Staunton, Nov. 25 – A major reason opponents of the pursuit of independence by regional and national groups within the current borders of the Russian Federation will inevitably entail  bloody wars, while keeping all of them under Moscow’s rule will ensure peace. But that is exactly the opposite of what is the case, Artyom Tarasov says.
    In reality, the head of the new Pskov Regional Center says, Moscow has launched bloody wars against the Chechens and Georgians in the past and Ukrainians now and will continue to do so as part of its effort to maintain the Kremlin’s power (idelreal.org/a/aktivisty-zayavili-o-sozdanii-pskovskogo-respublikanskogo-tsentra-/33213246.html and facebook.com/groups/661124300699950/permalink/3714332012045815).
    Tarasov made that comment when he announced in Warsaw earlier this week the formation of the Pskov Regional Center which seeks independence for its people, the revival of their language which is close to Belarusian and the development of close ties with the West and which has already demonstrated the ability to reach peaceful agreements with regional groups to its north and south.  
    The announcement of the formation of the Center in Warsaw and Tarasov’s words about what is really the source of bloody conflicts won support from a variety of regional and ethnic movements whose leaders are now forced to live and work abroad, including the Ingermanlanders and Smolensk Regional Center.  
    That Pskov should want to escape from Muscovite rule should come as no surprise. It is one of the poorest federal subjects with the life expectancy of its population being only 50 – and the difference between that rate and life expectancies in neighboring Latvia and Estonia being one of the largest in the world (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2016/10/life-expectancy-in-many-russian-regions.html).    
    Because of these characteristics of the Pskov population and the insights of the leader of the Pskov Regional Center, it would thus be a mistake to dismiss this formation as just another child of what is often the hothouse of émigré groups. But of course, only the future will tell whether the Pskov movement will take off or Moscow will use bloody means to block it.