YouTube blocked two RT TV channels for posting anti-vax propaganda. In return, Russia threatened to block YouTube entirely, and then threatened to block German TV channels unrelated to Google unless YouTube relents.

The first threat can be thought of as "retaliation in kind." The second threat is nothing like that — it is more like hostage-taking.

Putin has concluded that giant tech companies will surrender to any demand whatsoever rather than lose a big market. That seems to be true if the market is China. Can Putin get this most-favored-market status too?