The Russian news website Golos Pravdy reported in his speech to the Ukrainian parliament, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden allegedly declared that Ukraine needed federalization, claiming it was the best European practice and did not compromise state sovereignty.
Biden in fact spoke about decentralization and regional autonomy in the spheres of the education and policing. As for federalism, the Vice President spoke about it negatively, referring to the American experience: “This issue of federalism is the thing that almost prevented our nation from coming into being.”
Biden also emphasized that for Ukraine: “Constitutional reform that includes judicial reform and decentralization does not compromise your sovereignty.” There was no mention of any federalization. Speculation about the federalization of Ukraine is a favorite topic in the Russian and separatist media. The fake news about Biden’s alleged proposal to “federalize” Ukraine was also posted by Izvestia.
