Putin says Russia 'not striving' for return of Soviet Union

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia was "not striving" to recreate the Soviet Union as he prepared to annex four Moscow-occupied Ukrainian regions at a Kremlin ceremony.
"The USSR is no more. We can't bring the past back. And Russia doesn't need it anymore. We are not striving towards that," Putin said, after earlier claiming the last Soviet leaders had "destroyed our great country".