"They are working towards reunification. I was using a bit hyperbole to undesrscore Putin's recent moves, yes there are still some limits on his power, but they are disapearing. Plus his more vocal opponents have a tendency of dying. The Duma and Oblast just rubberstamp his decsions, and offer litte opposition. True they are not as bad as many of the central Asian "republics"
Which of his more vocal opponents have died? Are you talking about Putin or Lukashenko? As far as I know, nobody who has been critical of Putin has been killed. Putin is still limited in a myriad of ways. For one, in my opinion, he still doesn't have a handle on the powerful generals. The Russian government is actually weaker than it is portrayed. Don't get me wrong - the current Administration over there leaves a lot to be desired, BUT, the people like him because the full-scale thievery that went on during Yeltsin's reign has been minimized.
Lukashenko wants to unify with Russia because he actually thinks he could become President. Not a chance. Most Russians aren't really in favor of becoming "one" with Belarus because they see it as a drain on their economy.