Nobel economist Paul Krugman says Putin's plot to weaponize natural gas prices is a failure, and Russia's superpower status is a facade

• Putin's plan to weaponize natural gas prices hasn't worked, Paul Krugman said.
• In a column for the NYT, the top economist pointed to Europe's success navigating the last winter.
• Russia has slashed its gas supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions. 

Putin's plan to weaponize the natural gas market has so far been a failure, and Russia is merely an imitation of a global superpower, according to Nobel laureate Paul Krugman.