Moscow:President Vladimir Putin will travel to Belarus today to revive efforts to create a single state from the two former Soviet nations, a trip that could expand Putin's options after he steps down as president next year.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Putin tries to speed up a union with Belarus ... To become the president of the unified state," Gennady Zyuganov, Russia's Communist Party chief, said this week.

On Monday, Putin said he supported his longtime protege, first deputy prime minister Dmitry Medevedev, to become Russia s next president. Medvedev instantly became the overwhelming favorite to win the post. Medevedev, in turn, on Tuesday asked Putin to be his prime minister - but Putin has not yet accepted.

Putin says he intends to retain influence after his second term as Russia's president ends in May, although in what capacity is unclear. The creation of a single state could give him an alternative to accepting the Russian prime minister's post.

If the two countries can reach an agreement, it would mark the first merger of a former Soviet state with Russia since the USSR split apart in 1991 - a step that would make many Russians proud. But the move could further damage Russia s relations with the West, especially if Moscow is seen as using pipelines that supply Belarus with natural gas to force the smaller country into an agreement.

Some analysts doubt a deal can be reached, because Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko - a Soviet-style leader dubbed Europe s last dictator by the West - is unlikely to cede power.

Source : PTI