This week, Russia's official name officially became a fiction.
This week, the Russian Federation ceased to be anything remotely resembling a federation.
This week, a decades-old agreement granting Tatarstan limited autonomy -- including control over its resources, budget, and special status for the Tatar language -- was allowed to expire.
And the Kremlin is showing no signs of reviving it.
One of Russia's most important regions and its largest ethnic minority just got downgraded.
On this week's Power Vertical Podcast, we look at what this means for Tatarstan and for Moscow's relations with Russia's regions.
Joining me are Mark Galeotti, a senior research fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague, head of its Center for European Security, and a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations; and Rim Gilfanov, director of RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service.
Enjoy!
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