Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin denied that Russia has ambitions to re-integrate the former Soviet states. “We are not talking about political integration, about the revival of the Soviet Union, Russia is not interested in that today,”
Putin was speaking in an interview with three national TV channels.
The Prime Minister said that Russia was “not interested in taking on excessive risks, taking excessive responsibility for the counties that for various reasons… remain close to us,” he said.
Putin also dismissed Western media reports concerning Russia\'s “imperialist ambitions,” saying that Western experts who criticize Russia-CIS states integration policy should “mind their own business.” His message to westerners was “Tackle rising inflation, state debt or at least obesity. Mind your own business”.
source: commonspace.eu newsroom with reports from Ria Novosti