The conflict in Ukraine has frayed Russia's relations with the West, so Russian leaders are strengthening ties with some former Soviet neighbors.
President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement with the leaders of Belarus and Kazakhstan to establish the Eurasian Economic Union. The treaty allows freer movement of people, products, and capital. It calls for common policies on energy, agriculture, and other fields. Trade tariffs between the countries have already been abolished. Lawmakers in the three nations will have to ratify the deal. It's scheduled to go into effect in January.
Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are set to join by the end of the year in a movement some have called "Soviet lite." But Russia's intervention in Ukraine has hindered efforts to promote even more cooperation among former Soviet republics.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed that this is an economic union and will not affect the sovereignty of each member nation.
◆fray 緊張させる
◆Belarus ベラルーシ（共和国）
◆Eurasian Economic Union ユーラシア経済連合 [the]
◆treaty 条約
◆call for ～を（強く）求める
◆tariff 関税
◆lawmaker 議会の議員
◆ratify 批准する
◆deal 協定、取引
◆go into effect 発効する、施行する
◆Kyrgyzstanキルギス（共和国）
◆intervention介入、干渉
◆affect影響を及ぼす
◆sovereignty主権
