Putin announced the readiness of the gas pipeline project to China, similar to Nord Stream

Russia and China are close to agreeing on the construction of the “Power of Siberia-2” gas pipeline with a capacity similar to the destroyed Nord Stream highway to Germany. This was stated by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, after the meeting with the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping.

According to Putin, the projected capacity of the gas pipeline through Mongolia is 50 billion cubic meters per hour. This is close to the design capacity of “Nord Stream”, which worked before the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine.

The total volume of Russian gas supplies by 2030, according to the Russian president, should amount to 98 billion cubic meters. If we are talking about the annual volume, then the export of pipeline gas, according to Moscow’s calculations, should grow almost 6.5 times compared to the already record volumes of 2022. Then they amounted to 15.5 billion.

This is happening against the background of a sharp reduction in supplies to Europe. According to “Vedomosti” calculations, exports to European countries in 2022 could be reduced by exactly two times – from 174.7 to 85.5 billion cubic meters. This happened due to the breakdown of bilateral deals between Moscow and EU countries, the parties blamed each other for this.

• The US sanctions imposed against Russia in February may interfere with the operation of gas pipelines to China, Kommersant newspaper pointed out. As part of the next sanctions package, Moscow was prohibited from supplying turbines used for pumping gas and a large number of critical parts for them. Russian companies are actively looking for new suppliers in China and Iran and buy turbines on the secondary market, but so far they cannot replace supplies from Europe and the USA, the publication’s interlocutors said.
• Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow took place a few days after the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest. The Kremlin is trying to get Beijing’s support in the confrontation in Ukraine and with Western countries, but China refrains from direct public support for Russia.
• At the press conference at the end of Sy’s visit to Moscow, he again did not speak about Russia’s support in the war with Ukraine. Putin, in turn, declared that he was ready to be guided by Beijing’s plan for the peace process (the document, in particular, calls for a ceasefire and peace negotiations, but does not contain concrete proposals on how to do this).