There’s been a great deal of news concerning Vladimir Putin and Russia’s political ambitions. As Putin prepares for another election, potentially putting him at 24 years as president of Russia, he’d retire with one of the longest reigns in Russia’s, as well as the Soviet Union’s, history. Here is a man who seemingly packs his power in a suitcase when changing offices, and with the potential to extend his reign, the old KGB colonel hopes to accomplish a new Eurasian Union.

Keep in mind, this is coming from an old member of the KGB who claimed that the breakup of the USSR was “the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century.” And in light of everything, we think there should be some suspicioun over his new “Eurasian Union.” Putin admits it would be “naive to try to restore or copy what was in the past.” Instead, he defends his plan as an “integration based on values, politics and economies” between countries that are already closely aligned.

Putin states that his Eurasian Union would provide an “economic sound and balanced partnership” to help balance the power between Washington, the European Union and Asia. This doesn’t appear conniving, and as Putin put it, a Eurasian Union could be “one of the poles of the modern world, serving as an efficient link between Europe and the dynamic Asia-Pacific region.” However, the facts of the issue raise concerns.

Of the 15 republics that were in the USSR, there are three, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, that have joined the European Union. Ukraine, which would be critical to the Eurasian Union, has been making attempts to join Europe and resist Russia’s influence. However, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have shown interest in Putin’s plan.

As of Jan. 1, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have agreed to create strong economic alliances and lower barriers between themselves, and Putin expects Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to join quickly. Whether the other former members of the USSR will join are a matter of speculation, as well as a matter of great concern.

This could be the old colonel’s resuscitation of the dead USSR, in which case Washington and the European Union should take some preventative actions. If you recall your Soviet history, you’ll agree that it’s a political actor we don’t want today. However, there is another possibility.

Instead of raising Russia’s dead empire, it’s possible Putin has a cooperative union in mind. In which case, “an efficient link between Europe and the dynamic Asia-Pacific region” might be preferable. But it’s hard to be certain; intentions are always a matter of speculation.

The best course of action is caution and close observation. Is the old totalitarian coming to power? If so, policies and intervention should be considered or we may repeat some uncomfortable history. However, this is a new day, and there are possibilities for a productive Eurasian Union.