Putin: 'Time Bombs' Destroyed Soviet Union From Inside

Vladimir Putin clarified to reporters what he meant by talking about the 'time bombs' that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in his article about the Unity of Russians and Ukrainians.

Putin reiterated that The USSR republics’ right for secession was "the most dangerous delayed action mine" under the statehood of the Soviet Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. In his words, the Soviet Union’s early leaders, Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, had a debate about it.

Another delayed action mine was the Communist Party’s leading role, because "it turned out that it was the only thing that held the entire country together as a single nation."

Putin said he might raise the subject again in future: "There were other delayed action mines as well. Maybe, we will talk about them later."