Blinken believes that Russia wants to return the "Soviet" level of influence on other countries

“I think this is so, this is one of the goals of President Putin.

And this means the restoration of the sphere of influence over the countries that were previously part of the Soviet Union, "- quoted by Blinken TASS.

He added that this would be “unacceptable”.

In December, United States Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland expressed fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin was seeking to "recreate the Soviet Union."

After that, the Kremlin noted that Nuland "is well versed" in the subject of Russia, as well as "in all the nuances of the post-Soviet space" and is well aware that the restoration of the Soviet Union is impossible.