MOSCOW, August 23 (RIA Novosti) - Russia intends to reverse its policy in the post-Soviet space, meaning the focus will shift to relations with the United States and the European Union, rather than with CIS countries, a high-ranking Kremlin source said.
"The new political course's main purpose is not to restore so-called Russian influence, which was allegedly lost as a result of 'the colored revolutions' [in CIS member-states]. There was no such influence, there was only lost money and stolen Russian natural gas. The goal is to establish civilized relations between Moscow and the United States and the European Union on the post-Soviet space," the source said.
Russia has been discussing this issue with CIS member-states and is going to continue the discussions at the upcoming CIS summit in Kazan, Tatarstan's capital, to be held in late August, along with the celebration of the city's 1000th anniversary.
The source said Russia is discontent with its status as sponsor of some CIS countries' economies, supplying them with energy at discount prices. The poverty level in those countries has built up preconditions for colored revolutions, which have brought a few changes for people, but mostly wealth for their leaders, who are either directly or indirectly well paid by the United States, the source said.
The Kremlin admits it made mistakes in the 1990's, as Russia lacked the necessary money, time and political desire to strengthen the CIS because it was bogged down with its own problems. But the situation has changed recently, resulting in the establishment of several influential CIS and international bodies, including the Eurasian Economic Community (Eurasec), the Central Asian Cooperation organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Common Economic Space (CES), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the source said.
As a counterweight to Russian alliances, Russia's rivals created GUUAM, involving Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova, the source said.
"Nearly defunct after Uzbekistan had quit and losing one of the u's in the acronym, the organization is regenerating due to 'orange revolutions' and huge sponsorship from across the ocean," the spokesman said, adding that a Georgian-Ukrainian plan to establish a so-called community of democracies of Baltic, Black Sea and Caspian states would be another attempt to oppose Russia's policy in the post-Soviet space.
A recent SCO statement that United States needs a deadline for withdrawing its military bases from Central Asia has impressed the United States deeply, the source said.
The first Russian-Chinese large-scale military exercise is widely seen as a strong argument, but major developments, including negotiations with Western countries, primarily with the United States, are ahead, the source said.
"Actually, a lawless battle is running in the post-Soviet space. Russia would like to set up laws, seeking rules for a civilized game," the source said.
