Pipeline Politics

The recent summit between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Beijing produced a landmark agreement on the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline, a massive project that would redirect Russia’s natural gas exports from Europe to China. The deal raises far-reaching questions: how will it reshape global energy markets, especially for U.S. and allied LNG exporters? Why has Beijing now moved forward despite past hesitations over sanctions and supply needs? And what strategic calculations drove China to favor a secure overland pipeline through Mongolia rather than riskier Arctic LNG shipping routes vulnerable to U.S. power?

In this episode, Paul Saunders discusses these latest developments. Saunders is the president of the Center for the National Interest and an expert with more than three decades of experience in U.S.-Russia policy. He previously served in t ...