‘Siberia will be free’
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s assertion that US wants to ‘weaken’ Russia underlines a long-term Biden covert strategy!
‘Siberia will be free’: Five Russian regions vote in unauthorised independence referendums over a year ago; but as President Joe Biden pushes for the War in Ukraine to continue, this little known referendum news is even more relevant today than a year ago.
Siberia will be free • February 17, 2023 // Referendum Report
Russians began voting in unauthorised independence referendums in five regions of the country on Thursday, as part of a campaign to promote secession from Moscow’s rule.
The online vote organised by umbrella group the Post-Russia Forum covers Siberia, the Urals, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar and Ingria.
The referendums are not binding, and may be illegal under a law against challenging Russia’s “territorial integrity.” But more than 130,000 votes were recorded on the first day of voting, which remains open until 28 February.
Stanislav Pavlovsky-Suslov, of the Committee of the Independent Confederation of Siberia, said he was confident of a “Yes” vote that would strengthen the campaign.
“The results will allow us to understand whether people in Siberia want to be free from Moscow’s influence,” he told i. “Moscow takes a lot of resources from Siberia and spends the money not on the development of Siberia, but on its own needs and wars of aggression,” he said, adding: “Siberia will be free.”
Independence movements have grown in several regions of Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, with disproportionate death tolls in the provinces and the impact of sanctions adding to pre-existing grievances over a lack of autonomy and perceived exploitation.
In May 2022, representatives of six provinces united to form the League of Free Nations, with the aim of seeking “the collapse of the Russian Federation and the creation of new states on its ruins.”
But while those provinces have long-established campaigns for self-determination, and in most cases a single, predominant ethnic group, the Post-Russian Forum is seeking independence for larger, more diverse areas without a common identity.
In this context, the referendums help to build momentum and normalise the idea of secession, said Dr Alexander Etkind, a professor of international relations at the Central European University in Vienna.
While a potential break up of Russia has gained traction among foreign policy analysts during the war, there are also concerns that attempts to divide Russia could lead to bloody conflict, and insecurity around its nuclear arsenal.
Stanislav Pavlovsky-Suslov, of the Committee of the Independent Confederation of Siberia, said he was confident of a “yes” vote that would strengthen the campaign.
“The results will allow us to understand whether people in Siberia… want to be free from Moscow’s influence,” he told i.
“Moscow takes a lot of resources from Siberia and spends the money not on the development of Siberia, but on its own needs and wars of aggression,” he said, adding: “Siberia will be free.”
But while those provinces have long-established campaigns for self-determination, and in most cases a single, predominant ethnic group, the Post-Russian Forum is seeking independence for larger, more diverse areas without a common identity.
Independence movements have grown in several regions of Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, with disproportionate death tolls in the provinces and the impact of sanctions adding to pre-existing grievances over a lack of autonomy and perceived exploitation.
The event was the initiative of groups from different Russian regions. The voting took place from February 16 to 28th on Referendum’s website. 5,6 million people participated in votes according to organizers.
Former Königsberg (Kaliningrad and the district), Ingria (St Petersburg and the Leningrad region), and Kuban (Krasnodar Territory) voted for independence.
The results of the voting for independence from Moscow are as follows:
Königsberg (Kaliningrad): 72.1% for independence, 27.9% against;
Ingria: 66.2% for independence, 33.8% against;
Kuban: 55.7% for independence, 44.3% against;
Siberia: 63.9% for independence, 36.1% against;
Ural: 68.2% for independence, 31.8% against.
In this context, the referendums help to build momentum and normalise the idea of secession, said Dr Alexander Etkind, a professor of international relations at the Central European University in Vienna.
Foreign political experts previously predicted that Russia will become a failed state or disintegrate by 2033.
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