ABC: Russia's natural gas is Vladimir Putin's political and economical weapon
For Vladimir Putin, natural gas is not just a resource. It is an economic and political weapon. I cannot recall now whether we were heading back to Moscow from Makhachkala, Samara, or Ulyanovsk.
But I do remember how we were getting back. There on the tarmac on the side of a Soviet-era Tu-154 jet were the proud words “Газпром Авиа”, or Gazprom Avia. This gas company is so huge it runs its own airline on the side.
To understand how energy exports - especially natural gas – have helped fuel Mr Putin's long reign, look no further than Gazprom. Since Mr Putin rose to power in 2000, the energy company has become a colossus.
It is an economy within an economy: nearly 400,000 employees, more than $US150 billion in revenues, and $US40 billion in profits heading straight into the hands of the Kremlin.