Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy team may feel nervous about briefing the boss this week.
Among recent bad news, the Chinese Communist Party has delivered a double snub to the Kremlin.
It is refusing to supply marine propulsion systems for vessels needed for the Arctic “northern sea route”.
And the planned 50 billion cubic metre Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline is all but dead, thanks to Chinese demands for the gas-price that Russian consumers pay: $50 [€44] per 1000 cubic metres.
That is one-fifth of what the Kremlin was offering, at an already hefty discount.
