Putin's support for ceasefire: new attacks endanger peace!

Putin's support for ceasefire: new attacks endanger peace!

After fierce fighting between Russia and Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday showed a generally positive attitude to the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States. However, he stated that his forces would continue to actively fight until certain basic conditions are met. The situation escalated when dramatic air strikes occurred last night. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian border region of Belgorod in which three people were injured, including a seven-year-old child. In addition, air defense units destroyed more than 15 Ukrainian drones in the Voronezh region, Governor Alexander Gusev said on Telegram. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force is warning of impending drone strikes on Kiev and other central regions, which has led to a series of explosions reported by Ukrainian media.

Putin's power play

Since his election in 2000, Vladimir Putin has initiated many reforms to strengthen the center's influence in the (Russian) regions. The President restructured the federal system and appointed Plenipotentiary Representatives in various federal districts. Nevertheless, an analysis of developments found that the influence of these representatives has diminished over the years. While the reforms were intended to control the power play between the center and the regions, recent data shows that governors have increasingly less influence. This leads to a racial dependency of the regions, which is manifested both in the political statements and in the financing of their budgets. The financing of the regions through federal transfer payments has increased sharply, which further limits their autonomy, as reported by the Federal Agency for Civic Education shows.

Putin's government has clearly focused on regaining and strengthening control over the regions, which has a strong impact on relations between the central state and individual regions. Trade relations and sentiments are reflected in the frequent mention of political terms, the analysis shows. While “federalism” is increasingly rarely discussed, the ongoing conflict with Ukraine shows how important centralized control is in times of military conflict. Such developments highlight the difficult balance between regional demands and the Kremlin's authoritarianism.