With Russia’s economy faltering, Putin is finding it increasingly difficult to employ the second tool of power: payment. Not even oil and gas, Russia’s most valuable resources, can save the economy, as Putin’s recent agreement to supply gas to China for 30 years at knockdown prices demonstrates.
随着俄罗斯经济的低迷，普京越来越难以把握第二种实力工具：收买。即使是俄罗斯最有价值的资源——石油和天然气也无法拯救俄罗斯经济，最近普京以“地板价”与中国签订30年供气协议证明了这一点。