Shell is being forced by the Russian government to hand over its controlling stake in the world’s biggest liquefied gas project, provoking fresh fears about the Kremlin’s willingness to use the country’s growing strength in natural resources as a political weapon.
Fortunately, Dear Leader has looked into Vladimir Putin’s soul, so we know that no matter how many people are poisoned, no matter how many properties are seized, it’s being done for the right reasons.
Of course, given last year’s Kelo decision, the United States doesn’t exactly have any grounds for complaint. To silence his critics, all Putin has to do is point out that the Russian government will receive more tax revenue from Gazprom than it will from Shell.