They realized for three

On May 29, in Astana, the presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Ukraine never waited.

The agreement on the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union was signed by the leaders of the three states-Alexander Lukashenko, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin (in the photo from right to left)-in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, May 29 /photo: Mikhail Klimentyev /ITAR-TASS

To be honest, for my native Belarus, this union will certainly bring some benefits to the country: free access to the Russian market of goods that are not very bought in Europe, reducing energy prices ... But in the long -term perspective, the picture is not at all optimistic: Belarus is economically and politically tied to the economy not most modernized in the world - Russian. And this will preserve the backwardness of the Belarusian economy. And given the morals of a big brother, one can expect political consequences, which can hit the connections of Belarus with the third countries.

Alexander Lukashenko traded for a long time before putting his signature under the document. A couple of weeks ago, he even made a scandal after the summit in Minsk, saying that he would not sign anything if they did not meet him in the issue of export duties on oil, which Minsk returns to Moscow. As a result, they went to meet him: since 2015, half of the duties will remain in the Belarusian budget, and from 2016 the return of the duties will be canceled, which will bring Minsk about $ 2-3 billion a year.

But the creation of a single currency, which was supposed to operate in Russia and Belarus since 2005, was postponed in a long box. It is possible that this idea is still close to Vladimir Putin. But Nursultan Nazarbayev and Alexander Lukashenko have his own thoughts, the main thing of which: given the value of the Russian economy in relation to Kazakhstan and Belarusian, it is clear who will actually make all financial decisions. Once the “most equal” of the three equals.

Putin, of course, can be proud of: he achieved his own, in the vastness of the former USSR almost a competitor to the European Union is being created. But if you compare the GDP of the EAEU countries with the EU, it becomes clear: even if the new union manages to join all the CIS countries, this will not change the balance of power: Russia's GDP - $ 2 trillion, Belarus and Kazakhstan combined - $ 500 billion, the rest of the CIS countries - about $ 800 billion. At the same time, $ 17 trillion. So we will not have to talk about real competition for a long time.