Governors on the March

Meanwhile, Krasnoyarsk Governor Aleksandr Lebed threatens to suspend Russian-Ukrainian agreements authorizing Ukraine to bury radioactive waste on Siberian territory. Former General Lebed flouts these international agreements, for he is the boss in his region and he continues to prove this with extraordinary statements.

Of course, Luzhkov cannot stop the State Duma deputies or force them to revise their own decision. Of course, Lebed cannot influence the execution of international agreements, at least for the time being. Yet, the statements by governors demonstrate quite well the extent to which regional authorities in Russia look down on the central government and try to persuade us that it is they who understand the real interests of Russians, while those in the Kremlin, the White House, and Parliament only care about their own political gains. And deservedly so. For the Russian crisis is hardly increasing the center's leverage but is obviously giving the governors a free hand to act according to the principle "those who drown are themselves responsible for lifesaving."

And yet another conclusion for the future. Both Luzhkov and Lebed will run for the presidency, so almost every statement they make can be considered part of the election campaign. Even now it is clear that the Russian presidential campaign will just not do without the Ukrainian card. The candidates will be "defending" Russians as much as they can, and we will have to decide more than once whether or not to take offense or shrug off yet the latest flurry of demagogy.