A bit of history.

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"Secluded hunting lodge" is a bit of a misnomer, it makes the meeting sound furtive. There's a picture of the place at http://bp21.org.by/p/book/bris59b.jpg

Gorbachev himself had been due to sign the New Union Treaty in August, four months earlier, which was "to convert the Soviet Union into a federation of independent republics with a common president, foreign policy and military". The failed coup attempt managed to halt that, despite collapsing. That was a concerted effort by Gorbachev's vice president, prime minister, defense minister and KGB chief so it did leave Gorbachev's political position broken. Yeltsin, in December, went all the way instead of prevaricating. Presumably he felt that half measures would leave the New Union still subject to challenge if the hard-liners ever became resurgent in Moscow.