WASHINGTON, September 3. /TASS/. Russia’s signing of a legally binding memorandum with China on the construction of the Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline underscores Moscow’s firm intention to reorient its energy exports from West to East, Eurasia Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Mark Episkopos told TASS.
"There is little doubt that the Power of Siberia-2 project represents Russia's clear intention to shift the trajectory of its energy exports eastward in a more deliberate way than what we've seen so far," he said.
"But it is no less true that maintaining an energy relationship with Europe is squarely in Russia's long-term economic interests, as Moscow benefits from a diversified energy export portfolio that includes Western clients. The new agreement with China complicates, but does not necessarily close the door on restarting the Russia-Europe energy trade. The likelihood of a reset along these lines is, in large part, a political question that hinges on a successful diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine crisis," the expert added.
Earlier, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller announced the signing of a legally binding memorandum with China on the construction of the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline and the Soyuz Vostok transit pipeline across Mongolia. In addition, Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) agreed to increase supplies through the existing Power of Siberia pipeline from 38 bcm of gas per year to 44 bcm. According to Miller, the new Power of Siberia-2 pipeline will be the largest and most capital-intensive project in the global gas industry. In total, 22 cooperation agreements were signed during President Vladimir Putin’s official visit to China.
The Power of Siberia-2 trunk pipeline project is intended to connect the gas fields of Western Siberia with China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region via Mongolia. Its design capacity amounts to up to 50 bcm of gas per year. The project completed its feasibility study in January 2022, and Mongolia’s state expert review authority approved it in March 2025.