MOSCOW: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proposed forming a “Eurasian Union” of former Soviet nations, saying the bloc could become a major global player competing for influence with the United States, the European Union and Asia.
Putin, who has lamented the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Unionas the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century,” denied that his proposal represents an attempt to rebuild the Soviet empire.But he said in an article published on Tuesday in the daily Izvestia that the new alliance should emerge as “one of the poles of the modern world, serving as an efficient link between Europe and the dynamic Asia-Pacific region.”Putin, who is all but certain to reclaim the presidency in March’s election, has been accused of rolling back Russia’s post-Soviet democratic achievements during his two terms as president in 2000-2008. He has remained Russia’s de-facto leader after shifting into the premier’s job due to a term limit, and his protege and successor Dmitry Medvedev proposed last month that Putin run for president.