Russia's alliance with China a 'turning point in security'
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Putin’s energy empire may have appeared to be in disarray after a number of energy companies withdrew billions out of the country over Russia’s actions in Ukraine. BP said it would abandon its 20 percent stake in Rosneft, which could cost Russia around £18billion according to some estimates. While Shell said pulled out of the £8million Nord Stream 2 project which it reportedly contributed £750million towards according to some estimates.
While it may appear that Russia’s energy sector has taken a blow, Danil Bochkov from the Russian international Affairs Council said this is likely to pit China and Russia closer together.
He told Express.co.uk: “The current Ukraine crisis will push Russia more into China’s embrace making it more active stakeholder of Russia energy market following massive retreat of Western key energy giants.”
This comes as Putin and Xi Jinping look poised to strike the biggest ever gas deal between the two countries.
The deal for the proposed Soyuz Vostok pipeline Would allow the supply of up to 50 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year to China
It also comes as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged not to certify Nord Stream 2, dealing Putin another blow as the system would have been able to double Russia’s gas exports to Germany.
Mr Bochkov told Express.co.uk: “I believe that complete collapse of NS2 is already a fait accompli.
“No German political figure will ever refer to it in their political activities because it would destroy their political image as supporting Russian aggression.”
Germany had been slammed for entering a gas deal with Putin in the first place, with critics of the pipeline claiming the Russian leader was using it as a “geopolitical weapon”.
But Russia is looking elsewhere to keep its energy market thriving while the West attempts to batter it with sanctions.
Mr Bochkov said: “Some time ago Russia began realizing that it should diversify its markets to avoid extremes dependence on the EU as an end market for its oil and gas products.
Following the Ukraine crisis of 2014, Russia began intensifying its cooperation with other states.
“So, in 2015 the project with Pakistan commenced followed by Power of Siberia project with China launched in 2019.”
The Power of Siberia 2 pipeline is a proposed natural gas pipeline stretching 2600-km which Russia has agreed will supply gas to China as part of a 30-year deal.
But China and Russia’s closer partnership may be alarming for the West.
Richard Tice, leader of Reform UK, said on Talk Radio TV: “This is a massive wake up call for all of us in the West, because you must note that China has been worryingly silent in this matter (Russia’s full-scale Ukraine invasion).”
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He continued: “I believe there is a new axis of evil descending in the world, the axis around China and Russia.”
On Monday, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the Sino-Russian relationship is one of “strategic partnership”, but stressed that the pair are not allies.
Some reports have even claimed that Mr Jinping knew about Russia’s planned invasion.
The New York Times reported that Chinese officials told senior Russian officials in early February not to invade Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics, which were held in Beijing
But China denied the claims.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said: ”The claims mentioned in the relevant reports are speculations without any basis, and are intended to blame-shift and smear China.”
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