Russia's state-controlled energy giant Gazprom has signed a long-awaited memorandum of understanding on a huge natural-gas deal with China.
The accord, announced today, came on the sidelines of a visit to Shanghai by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
There were no pricing details on the deal, however, which is believed to involve Russia supplying 38 billion cubic meters of gas per year to China for the next 30 years via a new eastern pipeline linking the countries.
It has been unofficially valued at more than $400 billion.
Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller is quoted as saying that the China contract price is a commercial secret.
Russia and China have been working on a deal for more than a decade, but a final agreement had been delayed due to price disagreements.
Donetsk is when you get in a cab and buckle up and the driver says, "We don't buckle up in Donetsk." And unbuckles your seat belt.
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) May 21, 2014
East Ukraine: "No one is going to vote because no one wants to get a bullet in their forehead" http://t.co/GTCjEuKDst pic.twitter.com/0mKpJL7kIc
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) May 21, 2014
Video appeal from the Life News cameraman held by the Ukrainians https://t.co/L204z9N7Wi Kiev really ought to let them go.
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) May 21, 2014
Speaking today in Bucharest alongside Romanian President Traian Basescu, Biden, said "we must be resolute" in enforcing sanctions against Moscow and that tougher measures could come if the May 25 polls are undermined.
Biden also reiterated NATO's Article 5 commitments, saying Russia's aggression in Crimea, less than 200 kilometers from alliance member Romania's borders, shows why it is still needed.
The vice president thanked Romania for increasing its defense budget to 2 percent of its gross domestic product.
Biden also said work is on track to open a antimissile shield in Deveselu, Romania, next year.
Basescu thanked Biden for the immediate U.S. reaction to the Ukrainian crisis by supplementing the U.S. Air Force presence in the region.
"This is proof that the U.S. is respecting its word," he said.
After talks with Prime Minister Victor Ponta, Biden later said that Europe needs "a secure, diverse, and interconnected energy market" to ensure Russia can no longer use energy "as a weapon."
A week ago wrote about the Donbas Battalion. Now Vice has some good visuals on one of their operations https://t.co/evidxtXG4G
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) May 21, 2014
Mayor of Mikolaev receives a package with a chopped off dog's head in it and inside the head a grenade
— bruce springnote (@BSpringnote) May 21, 2014
Outrageous Ukrainian comedy segment, at home with Putin & Alina, Viktor Yanukovych living in the wardrobe https://t.co/L5AMGsG6Au
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) May 21, 2014
#Ukraine's richest oligarch Akhmetov urges Donbas residents to 'fight, fight, fight' (VIDEO) http://t.co/qNNhc0CL9b http://t.co/FosGjBriBd
— Kyiv Post (@KyivPost) May 21, 2014