Putin's military difficulties in Ukraine are serious, as is the impact of Western sanctions on the Russian economy.
But that should not hide the fact that it is primarily an (extended) western alliance that is opposing him.
The two great powers in Asia, which everyone believes will soon become the most important region in the world, are not letting Putin go.
His foreign minister, who was in China earlier this week, has now been received in India.
And China made it clear to the EU on Friday that it would stick to its previous position on the Ukraine issue.
No identical interests
Nevertheless, the interests of the two most populous countries are not identical here.
India has a partnership with Moscow that has grown historically from the Cold War.
They will hardly want to hand it over to Beijing now, China is a difficult neighbor and ultimately a geopolitical rival.
It is precisely for this reason that in recent years democratic India has actually drawn closer to the West, particularly the United States.
In contrast, authoritarian China under Xi Jinping is increasingly defining itself as an ideological and strategic counter-power to the West, again primarily to America, which is still the supreme power in Asia.
Putin will try to play this card as often as possible because it not only gives him breathing space on the diplomatic stage.
The oil deal with India shows where a way out could lie for him should he permanently lose his Western customers in the commodity business.
In the future, German and European Asia policy can no longer only be about trade and human rights issues.
In relations with China in particular, one should not repeat the cardinal mistake that was made when dealing with Russia: making oneself economically dependent.
China may be further away than Russia, but its power is already greater.