Russia-Belarus-Yugoslavia Union Stillborn

Of course, one could dwell on how this union would threaten Ukraine, the rest of Europe, Russian democracy, prospects for Yugoslav democracy, Montenegro, and Kosovars and also pose several biting questions about the CIS, Mr. Camdessus, or a union with Slobodan Milosevic using US money...

But what for?

We all understand only too well that no empire will be created, just as there will be no union, not even if Presidents Yeltsin, Milosevic, and Lukashenka ceremoniously sign a union treaty in the Kremlin and even if Russian Patriarch Aleksiy II and Serbian Patriarch Paul bless the union.

After all, the Russia-Belarus Union is stillborn, although everything was properly signed and blessed, with all the required pomp. And Russia and Belarus are so very much closer in every sense, compared to Yugoslavia: common border, common past, common economic vehicles. Yet it just did not work.

Now, however, it is very interesting to watch the transformations of nostalgia. There were so many plans cherished in conjunction with the Moscow-Minsk union, even Lukashenka was comforted in every way despite his completely paralyzed economy. Now it is Yugoslavia's turn after several weeks of NATO bombing. Maybe if all the post-Soviet countries were attacked from the air, we would now have 15 Soviet Republics raised from the dead?