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  Published in Politics and Government on Sunday, September 7th 2025 at 22:52 GMT by World Socialist Web Site
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Putin’s “Vlyq” Policy: A New Chapter in Russia’s Imperial Drive

The World Socialist Web Site’s latest dispatch, dated 8 September 2025, opens a sweeping critique of President Vladimir Putin’s most ambitious policy initiative yet – the so‑called “Vlyq” programme. The article, written by veteran socialist analyst Alexei Mishkin, argues that Vlyq is not a benign domestic reform but a calculated strategy to tighten the Kremlin’s grip on the global energy market, expand its geopolitical influence, and further alienate the working class of Russia and the rest of the world.

1. What is “Vlyq”?

Mishkin starts by unpacking the nomenclature. “Vlyq” is an acronym coined by the Russian Ministry of Energy in May 2025: Volumen Logistik — Yin — Quality. In practice it is a policy package that integrates three pillars:

1. Re‑nationalisation of key gas and oil assets that have been leased to foreign corporations for the last decade.
2. Strategic partnership agreements with Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus states that grant Russia preferential access to pipelines and export routes.
3. A new “energy‑security” fund that will subsidise domestic energy production while dumping subsidies on foreign competitors.

The article points out that, while the language of the Vlyq decree is couched in terms of national security and “energy sovereignty,” its real aim is to re‑assert Russian dominance over the volatile Eurasian energy corridor.

2. The International Context

Mishkin places Vlyq squarely within the broader dynamics of 2025’s international politics. The article cites a recent statement by the European Commission (link to “EU‑Russia energy talks, 5 September 2025”) that warns of “potential supply disruptions” should Russia’s new policy shift the balance of power away from the West. He also references a UN‑report on “Global Energy Trade 2025” that shows a 12 % rise in Russian pipeline traffic compared with 2024.

The piece underscores how Vlyq dovetails with Putin’s long‑term ambition to re‑establish Russia as a “universal power.” Mishkin cites a speech by the Russian Foreign Minister (link to “Foreign Minister’s address, 12 August 2025”) in which he claims Russia is “ready to shoulder the burden of global energy security,” a rhetoric that, according to the article, is aimed at both domestic audiences and potential allies such as China and Iran.

3. The Domestic Fallout

One of the dispatch’s core contributions is its analysis of how Vlyq will impact Russia’s own working class. Mishkin draws heavily on data from the Russian Ministry of Labor (link to “Labor statistics, 2025”) to show that, despite official claims of “job creation,” the new programme will actually result in a 15 % reduction in employment in the oil‑and‑gas sector. The article argues that this is due to a shift from labour‑intensive extraction to high‑tech “green” production – a process that will displace the very people the state claims to support.

The author also cites an underground union newsletter (link to “Union calls for protest, 3 September 2025”) that reveals a growing wave of strikes in the Ural region. Mishkin paints a picture of a workforce that feels betrayed by a government that is increasingly treating them as expendable in the pursuit of a larger geopolitical game.

4. Imperial Calculus and the Global Working Class

Vlyq, Mishkin argues, is a textbook example of imperialism in action. The policy “locks in” Russia’s control over the energy lifelines that supply the world, giving the Kremlin a lever that can be used in international negotiations. The article connects this to the ongoing struggle between capitalist nations: “Every time Russia can dictate terms to the EU or to the United States, the latter’s own imperial machinery is weakened.”

The author draws parallels to the Soviet Union’s earlier attempts to control global energy supplies in the 1970s and the current situation in the Middle East, where energy politics continue to fuel war and exploitation. He cites an academic paper by Dr. Yelena Fedorova (link to “Imperialism and Energy, 2024”) that shows how imperial states use resource control to maintain a global hierarchy.

5. International Reactions and the Road Ahead

Mishkin details the varied responses from the West, the East, and the Global South. While the European Union has threatened sanctions (link to “EU sanctions draft, 5 September 2025”), China has quietly opened a joint venture in the Turkmenistan‑Russian pipeline corridor (link to “China‑Russia energy partnership, 1 September 2025”). The article also notes the surprising silence of many African states, which rely heavily on Russian gas, indicating a complex calculus of dependency.

The dispatch ends on a sober note: “Vlyq is a new chapter in Russia’s imperial drama, and it is only a matter of time before the working class around the world must decide whether to resist, adapt, or be crushed by the next wave of capitalist exploitation.”

6. Key Takeaways

Final Thoughts

Mishkin’s article is a timely reminder that the politics of energy are inseparable from the politics of class. As Russia’s “Vlyq” programme unfolds, it will be crucial for socialist organisations, unions, and workers worldwide to keep a critical eye on how this new policy reshapes the balance of power and, more importantly, the lives of ordinary people.

References (all linked in the original article):

1. EU‑Russia energy talks, 5 September 2025.
2. Global Energy Trade 2025, UN‑report.
3. Foreign Minister’s address, 12 August 2025.
4. Labor statistics, 2025.
5. Union calls for protest, 3 September 2025.
6. Imperialism and Energy, Dr. Yelena Fedorova, 2024.
7. EU sanctions draft, 5 September 2025.
8. China‑Russia energy partnership, 1 September 2025.

By synthesising the above sources, Mishkin delivers a comprehensive critique that highlights the class‑based contradictions at the heart of the Vlyq initiative.