Via the CSM: Putin eyes full merger with Belarus

President Vladimir Putin may be about to unveil a political bombshell: a full-scale union between Russia and its smaller Slavic neighbor Belarus.

It’s a plan that not only would expand Russia’s territory and national prestige; it could also give Mr. Putin, required to step down when his second term ends in March, a new lease on power by producing a fresh Constitution.

Citing Kremlin sources, the independent Ekho Moskvy radio station reported Friday that Putin and Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko will sign a union treaty during Putin’s two-day visit to Minsk this week.

Intriguing.

Meanwhile, at a minimum, Putin is clearly setting the stage for continuing his influence once he leaves the presidency (via the NYT:
Putin Supports First Deputy as Successor:

Ending months of speculation, President Vladimir V. Putin said today that he would support one of his closest confidants, Dmitri A. Medvedev, a low-key former law professor with no background in the security services, to be the next Russian president.

Mr. Putin’s announcement makes Mr. Medvedev, 42, who is now a first deputy prime minister, the overwhelming favorite to win the presidency in elections next March, when Mr. Putin is due to step down.