PETRO: I don't see that as a serious possibility, no, not at this point.
DESVARIEUX: And why is that?
PETRO: Well, for example, I don't really understand where these troops are that the United States and NATO are arguing pose a problem. There seem to be conflicting reports about them. The Guardian and NBC News reports have said there are no particular troop amassments in the area. Russia, of course, claims that there's nothing unusual happening. So there doesn't really seem to be any special preparation. And it would take more--much more extensive military preparation [to invade eastern Ukraine], even, than took place in Crimea.
PETRO: Well, I think, for example, that the government in Kiev, instead of just outright rejecting the idea of local referendums, could actually get ahead of the issue by embracing it and framing it in terms that it would like to see. It seems to me the main complaint of people in the East is that they're not having a voice now in politics. Their political party, which was the Party of Regions, is in disarray. It doesn't look like any of the candidates that traditionally have been strong in the East are likely to even make the final round of the runoff round of the presidential elections. That would make the presidential elections [have] a result that would basically not be considered fair in the East, and possibly the South.
DESVARIEUX: What do you make of the argument to federalize?
PETRO: Well, I think it's worth considering, particularly because federalism does not propose any specific formula. If a country is divided--or let's say not divided so much, but has populations that have very different customs and, in this case, even languages and religions--federalism is a way to keep the country together as a single political entity. But the difference between what Kiev is proposing, which is greater regional autonomy, and what the protesters are calling for--specifically, federalism--is that regional autonomy in the case of federalism is then something negotiated between the center and the regions, and presumably also enshrined in the Constitution. As I understand the claims of the East, they're very skeptical of just being granted local autonomy, because that's been taken away in the past, and they really want to see that guarantee enshrined in the Constitution.
DESVARIEUX: But aren't the Russians themselves advocating for a federalization? And you have the Ukrainian government basically coming out saying that essentially this will just play into the hands of the Russian elite.
PETRO: Federalism, I feel, is appropriate for countries with vastly differing populations. It's not appropriate for every country. But it may be appropriate in the case of Ukraine because we keep seeing divisions in orientation, cultural orientations, assumptions, language, religion, between East and West. The concept of a unitary state really has run into some very serious problems as these very issues that we're seeing today suggest.
DESVARIEUX: Alright. Nicolai Petro, thank you so much for joining us.
PETRO: Thank you.
DESVARIEUX: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.
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