Russia’s Kowtowing To China: Energy And Beyond

Russia’s Kowtowing To China: Energy And Beyond

Share to Linkedin TOPSHOT - Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in ... [+] Moscow on March 21, 2023. (Photo by Sergei KARPUKHIN / SPUTNIK / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI KARPUKHIN/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images) Russia's invasion of Ukraine has left Moscow wanting for allies. While the "usual suspects" (Belarus, Eritrea, Nicaragua, North Korea, Venezuela, and a few others) have shown support, Russia has found itself diplomatically isolated. Even China, the supposed panacea to Western sanctions with whom Russia was supposed to have a "friendship without limits" has remained intentionally aloof. With the energy-reliant Russian economy running out of options, it increasingly turned toward China. This is an acceleration of processes started by President Vladimir Putin decades ago. However, Russia needs China far more than China needs Russia. On its one-year anniversary of invading Ukraine, Russian gas sales were halved compared to before the war. Russia hoped that Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow would allow for some relief. Xi did deliver some flowery language, stating "Right now there are changes – the likes of which we haven't seen for 100 years – and we are the ones driving these changes together" when describing relations