TUG-OF-WAR GAINS

Another diplomatic front Moscow has been heavily engaged in is tackling Ukraine's integration into the European Union (EU), a process which at one time seemed to be irreversible.

From Russia's viewpoint, to pull Kiev back into its orbit could be called a diplomatic gain in this round of tug-of-war.

From a historical perspective, the relationship between Moscow and Kiev is more like two brothers in one family. Kievan Rus was recognized as the cradle of modern Russia, and Russia ruled a large part of today's Ukraine for 200 years.

Russia was cautious about the enlargement ambition of the 28-member bloc, which is competing with Moscow for the future of its eastern neighbors.

Putin has been eagerly advocating a Eurasian union to counter the EU, starting from the Moscow-led Customs Union, which includes Belarus and Kazakhstan, with Armenia high on the waiting list.

European partners harshly criticized Putin's anti-Western course. Putin never denies his opposition to the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as the "advance of a foreign military bloc to Russia's border posed a threat to the country." On the EU enlargement however, he adopted a milder tone.

Meanwhile, Russia has been attempting to restore its clout over the former Soviet states, sometimes using carrot-and-stick methods. After Kiev made its U-turn, Moscow was stimulated to integrate it into the Russia-dominated entity.

"Putin wants to use the momentum for confirming Russia as the 'natural' center of gravitation on the Eurasian space, to demonstrate that the ex-Soviet republics have no alternative but to gather under Moscow's umbrella," Arkady Dubnov, an expert in the Commonwealth of Independent States affairs, told Xinhua.

In the next two years, Russia will focus on stabilizing and securing the smooth development of Eurasian integration, as it is a pivot for Russia's geopolitical realignment in the long haul.