Putin is turning Russia into a vassal state

When Vladimir Putin met Xi Jinping last month, not even the extraordinary spectacle could hide the glaring disappointment of the visit for the Russian president. Putin left without the prize he craved. Speculation had been rife that the energy crisis caused by Donald Trump’s Iran war might finally push the Chinese into deals on a major gas pipeline. Putin claimed Moscow and Beijing were close to taking “a highly significant step forward in oil and gas co-operation”. The 2,600km Power of Siberia 2, which Russia – a major energy exporter – has been pushing for two decades, would indeed be…