Russia is building closer ties with China
Russian aggression boosts China’s bargaining power
With the Putin administration hard-pressed by Western sanctions, Beijing may look to take advantage
The world looked very different when Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping announced a grand new alliance between their countries at the start of the Winter Olympics in China in early February, touting it as a “no limits” partnership superior to Nato and other Cold War-era alliances. The former’s apparent miscalculation over the strength of reaction by Ukraine’s allies to his illegal invasion has handed the latter the upper hand in their new relationship. “The war in Ukraine has shifted the Russian-Chinese energy balance in China’s favour,” says Jan Kalicki, an energy security expert at the Wilson Center, a Washington-based thinktank. “The Kremlin must depend much
Also in this section
6 February 2026
The long close relationship between key supplier Qatar and pivotal buyer Japan becomes even deeper following new landmark deal
6 February 2026
Partnerships across the LNG value chain have evolved over time, growing in both complexity and importance, according to panellists at LNG2026
6 February 2026
Nigeria's mega-refinery is still trying to solve many challenges, all while its owner talks up expansion
5 February 2026
While broadly supportive of EU efforts to tackle methane emissions, representatives of the gas industry warn it could deter supply contracting if timelines and compliance requirements are not made more pragmatic
