Putin's new vision of 'Eurasia'

One of the most striking developments in the post-Soviet space has been the rise of nationalism, and there is little in Putin's remarks to indicate that he intends to send Russian tanks rolling to reassert Kremlin control.

Sometimes, to quote Sigmund Freud, a cigar is just a cigar, and a customs union is just a customs union - and Moscow has other interlopers to worry about besides Western capitalism - like China, who even the Kremlin's Marlboro Man has yet to figure out how to counter.

If the last two decades have shown anything, it is that the new nations of the USSR would prefer to interact with the European union, or, better yet - the United States - but the former seems solely interested in their energy assets, while the latter is interested in buying everything that is not bolted down while delivering hectoring human rights lectures to boot.

And Moscow, is, after all, the devil that they know - but Beijing has the yuan, not dollars.

Tough call.