How fast is Putin reconstructing the old Soviet Union?

From what I have been reading in Xinhua since last Saturday indicates that Putin is moving very fast to reconstruct as much of the old Soviet Union as possible. I read on Saturday at Xinhua is the 11 economic ministers agreed in May this year to establish a CIS-wide free trade zone. In Tajikistan the same evening the heads of governments agreed to that free trade zone. It will receive final ratification in November.

There was an interesting article in Xinhua that Saturday arguing the non-Russian CIS countries (except for Georgia) stuck with Russia to stop Imperialism destroying what remained of the bureaucratic caste privileges and stop them becoming semi-Colonies of cheap raw materials. This is why Imperialism did everything to pressure Yeltsin to make massive Capitalist inroads because if they could restore Capitalism in Russia they could have completed that process in ex-Soviet states and Eastern Europe. Imperialism’s defeat by the removal of Yeltsin slowed Capitalist restoration in those areas of the world. It was an important victory for world revolution because it weakened Imperialism globally. If Yeltsin was not defeated Imperialism may have launched additional wars.

The material in this Xinhua article (see appendix) shows the nationalized parts of the workers’ states are linking up. There could be underhanded Russian Bureaucratic pressure for Gazprom to control Zalkar (Kyrgyz nationalized bank) and take over Kyrgyzneftgas and Kyrgzgas. Trotskyists argue the break-up of the Soviet Union was a major setback for the productive forces. We would be in favour of it coming back together on a voluntary basis.


There a number of Bureaucratic adventures Trotskyists would not support tactically. For example Trotskyists would not have been cutting off gas to the Ukrainian masses. Such moves could have alienated the masses and played into the hands of concillationist elements of Ukrainian Bureaucracy to Imperialism and Capitalist restorationist forces. In another similar situation I disagreed with how the Soviet Bureaucracy carried out the Berlin blockade during 1948-49 which alienated the West German masses and played into Imperialism’s hands. They were trying to pressure Imperialism through Bureaucratic manoeuvres but not want to extend the Socialist revolution westwards because if they overthrow Capitalist West Germany it would have caused the political revolution within Soviet Union. At the same if Imperialism had attacked the Soviet occupying forces we would defend that military force of Soviet workers’ state against Imperialism. Trotskyists give critical support under certain conditions if specific bureaucratic actions in economically reconstructing the Soviet Union coincide with what is in the workers’ states interest.