MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Thursday, Russia and other post-Soviet states are marking the 25th anniversary of the August Putsch, when a group within the Soviet government attempted a coup against Gorbachev.
"The challenge facing the people and the republics of the former Soviet Union is to strength the Eurasian Economic Union…One of the laws of the globalization process is regional integration, and if we do not closely integrate, the Eurasian Union will not be robust and international aggression will slowly erode different republics away, driving them into a pitiful state," Akayev said during an event dedicated to the anniversary at the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency.
The outfall of the former Soviet bloc's disintegration is clearly visible in the case of Ukraine, which has gone from one of the most prosperous Soviet states to one of Europe's poorest states, Akayev stressed.
"Look at the example of Ukraine. Ukraine was the most prosperous republic in the Soviet Union, they had excellent science…Today, there is no major science, no industry in Ukraine. I want to remind you that in 1990, Ukraine's annual per capita income was much higher than per capita income in Russia…And today, the per capita income is many times less than in Russia," he said.
The August Putsch started early on August 19, 1991. Led by Soviet Vice President Gennady Yanayev, the State Committee on the State of Emergency (GKChP), formed the day before, attempted to remove Gorbachev from power while he was on holiday in Crimea. The coup collapsed several days later, on August 22. The coup attempt is widely believed to have significantly contributed to the disintegration of the Soviet Union on December 26.
