Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
Alexei Bayer: Russia will regret its gas deal with China
Much has been written about the natural gas contract which Gazprom, after a brief snag, signed with China National Petroleum Corporation during President Vladimir Putin's visit to Beijing. The official reaction was triumphant: Russia is finding new markets and will no longer be tied to Western Europe with its threat of economic sanctions and plans to reduce dependence on Russian gas. The deal also requires that Russia develop new fields in eastern Siberia, building industrial and transport infrastructure in a remote region.