Sanctions on Russia

Are Russians heading to Mexico (or Turkey) carrying rubles, or are they using dollars (or Euros)?

feralhawk45 said:Are Russians heading to Mexico (or Turkey) carrying rubles, or are they using dollars (or Euros)?

My gut feeling is that they’re using Dollars, especially since the Euro doesn't carry quite as much weight in those specific regions. That said, I actually stumbled upon a bank in Mexico that officially lists Ruble-to-local currency exchanges on their site—though, of course, whether that actually works smoothly in practice is a whole different story.

There is, however, a massive catch here: the spread between the buying and selling rates is absolutely staggering. The markup on the Ruble is nearly 50% higher than the buying rate, whereas for almost any other currency—even those from some pretty remote corners of the world—the difference is usually a much more reasonable 4%.

Frank Davis3 said:I mean, what kind of logic is there in paying 200 rubles for a single dollar when you could officially swap it for something closer to 70?

Look, you clearly think you've got this figured out—but let me refresh your memory real quick. This is the exchange rate over in Cyprus. Seriously, just use the search bar; there’s been plenty of talk about this in posts from nine months ago.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fb8_fAtXkAU-DJY.jpg

I mean, what kind of logic is it to suggest someone outside of Russia would trade their rubles at some fake (70) rate? Go ahead, buddy—try accepting that "official" 70 rate and then come back and tell us how much it actually costs you to buy a dollar.

Frank Davis3 said:What's even the point of this post? It’s blindingly obvious we're looking at data from 2021, and since then, the Ruble has climbed, which naturally bumps up the Russian GDP when you measure it in dollars.

Well, there are plenty of ways to read this—pick whichever one fits your vibe:
- Russian GDP is growing, so they're doing great—their standard of living is about to hit legendary levels
- Not just living well, but actually becoming more competitive than the West
- The ruble is getting so strong everyone from here to Timbuktu is fighting over it
- Sanctions are a total bust
- The evil gnome wins a Nobel Prize for boosting the Russian economy
- Everything is going exactly according to the evil gnome's master plan—pure 5D chess moves

Jessica Rivera37 said:My gut feeling is that they’re using Dollars, especially since the Euro doesn't carry quite as much weight in those specific regions. That said, I actually stumbled upon a bank in Mexico that officially lists Ruble-to-local currency exchanges on their site—though, of course, whether that actually works smoothly in practice is a whole different story.

There is, however, a massive catch here: the spread between the buying and selling rates is absolutely staggering. The markup on the Ruble is nearly 50% higher than the buying rate, whereas for almost any other currency—even those from some pretty remote corners of the world—the difference is usually a much more reasonable 4%.

Man, I really thought we'd get some kind of "brotherly" exchange rate, but nope... just getting ripped off.

wearytrucker22 said:I mean, maybe places like Finland or the Czech Republic could have just found a different supplier by now. It's really just Canada and Bulgaria stuck in the mud. What on earth were they waiting for?

If only this three-day special operation would finally wrap up.

The latest stats coming out of Russia show that the decline, YOY, hasn't slowed down one bit.
https://twitter.com/AgatheDemarais/s...X4XmKALkA&s=19
So, here we go—heading into a year where oil revenues are tanking and gas income is taking a massive hit too. It’s almost funny if you think about it for more than a second.

Just a little comedic prelude for you all. Apparently, the country's second-largest mobile carrier just rolled out this "sanction-proof Russian phone" called the Fontel FP200. It’s running on 2G connectivity. Honestly, even in India, they’d probably consider this a bottom-of-the-barrel, low-end device.
https://twitter.com/maxfras/status/1...2Fyyqc4-g&s=19

Carl Lee27 said:The latest stats coming out of Russia show that the decline, YOY, hasn't slowed down one bit.
https://twitter.com/AgatheDemarais/s...X4XmKALkA&s=19
So, here we go—heading into a year where oil revenues are tanking and gas income is taking a massive hit too. It’s almost funny if you think about it for more than a second.

Just a little comedic prelude for you all. Apparently, the country's second-largest mobile carrier just rolled out this "sanction-proof Russian phone" called the Fontel FP200. It’s running on 2G connectivity. Honestly, even in India, they’d probably consider this a bottom-of-the-barrel, low-end device.
https://twitter.com/maxfras/status/1...2Fyyqc4-g&s=19

Funny how those guys who claim "it's not that bad" jumped out of the woodwork immediately.

Christian Torres3 said:Funny how those guys who claim "it's not that bad" jumped out of the woodwork immediately.

People are going to have to speak up a whole lot more this year, because honestly, it’s getting harder and harder to sweep this rot under the rug or try to justify what's happening. When a government starts acting more like a massive gas station than an actual governing body, they aren't going to be able to keep up the charade much longer.

Plus, we've got the 10th package of EU sanctions currently being cooked up, and I heard diamond exports are one of the main things on the agenda right now.
https://twitter.com/Flash_news_ua/st...cbxW_nfSg&s=19

gentlestag15 said:Someone’s out here claiming the Russian economy is incapable of taking a 30% hit
Back in 2013, Russia's GDP was sitting at $2.292 trillion. Then you get the occupation of Crimea in 2014 and those initial rounds of sanctions
By 2015, the GDP had cratered down to $1.363 trillion—that's a massive drop of roughly 40% right there

Sure it can—just maybe not in the lightning-fast window my colleague here is exaggerating.

For a while now, the main tactic from the pro-Russia crowd hasn't been countering actual arguments, but rather fighting imaginary ones. For example:

1: Russia's GDP fell by X%
2: Some people here predicted it would fall by 5X%☕

It’s pretty obvious they’re just talking to themselves at this point.

In Russia, basic economic data is treated like a state secret—and honestly, there's a good reason for that.

Or maybe Russians have just become humble and don't want to brag about their insane economic growth. I'm sure we all get the joke.

Did the Germans finally break their addiction to Russian gas?
A commentator over at the BBC seems to think so:

Putin has lost the gas war against Germany

https://www.dw.com/en/opinion-putin-...any/a-64387963

Gaspromholics Anonymous 😁

___

Winter simply cannot stop ExxonMobil! They are set to pump 100 billion cubic meters toward the East in 2023—purely through the air! 😉

Melissa Rivera5 said:Well, because that usually only happens on paper, you know? In the real world... I guess it's just not how it works. Like, even if that's the official rate, a bank isn't actually gonna hand over a dollar for just 70 rubles.

Ah, the good old days of pre-war America... back then, if you showed up at the bank with some official paperwork from your employer proving you were headed on a business trip abroad, you could actually snag things at the official government rate. 😬

Otherwise, you're stuck dealing with the black market, where everything is two or three times more expensive.

George Robinson43 said:Winter simply cannot stop ExxonMobil! They are set to pump 100 billion cubic meters toward the East in 2023—purely through the air! 😉

Look, there aren't any countries outside of the European Union and Japan importing 100 billion cubic meters of gas annually.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...al_gas_imports
All those other importing nations on the list rely on long-term contracts; moving that much volume isn't exactly an easy sell.

https://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=139&t=20

George Robinson43 said:Winter simply cannot stop ExxonMobil! They are set to pump 100 billion cubic meters toward the East in 2023—purely through the air! 😉

Though, if you ask me, a strong enough wind could blow those torches right toward the West, too.

William Miller12 said:Did the Germans finally break their addiction to Russian gas?
A commentator over at the BBC seems to think so:

Putin has lost the gas war against Germany

https://www.dw.com/en/opinion-putin-...any/a-64387963

Gaspromholics Anonymous 😁

___

Since September 2022, Germany hasn't been importing gas from Russia. They used to buy about a quarter of all Russian production.

The EU is down to just 8% of its gas imports from Russia now, and those pipelines—Nord Stream 1 and Yamal—are officially ready to go!
https://de.statista.com/statistik/da...nach-pipeline/

An economic wizard and expert on the subject of "How to keep a state trapped in a long-term recession while everything around you is booming" claims that sanctions actually work and aren't foolish at all.
So, where does that leave us?

The whole situation regarding that yacht in Betten is definitely catching eyes—at least within our local circles.

Here’s what I’m wondering:
A yacht doesn't just spontaneously float into the ocean on its own. Who was actually on-site, and what kind of excuse were they given for moving it? I highly doubt some random group just hopped a fence and shoved a massive vessel into the water by hand. And let's not forget how they managed to swap it out for a lookalike in the exact same spot....

What does the owner—or rather, the marina director—actually know about this?
And how did the boat clear our territorial waters without anyone asking a single question?
We're talking about a vessel under sanctions that sailed right out, kept its transponders fully active, and cruised all the way to Turkey...
It wasn't like they had to hunt it down with Coast Guard helicopters, drones, or high-speed interceptors...
Just pure luck with the Coast Guard? Maritime Police? The Navy?

Is there any political involvement here? And if so, how deep does the rabbit hole go?

So many unanswered questions...

I expect we'll see a predictable cycle of finger-pointing over the next few days, ranging from "that's not our department" to "other agencies should be doing their jobs."

But I'm holding out hope that a serious investigative journalist, maybe someone like Cimic over at Index, picks this up. Then maybe we'll finally see how far the Russian fifth column reaches in the States, though I have my doubts that anyone will actually face consequences even if the truth comes out....

___

William Miller12 said:The whole situation regarding that yacht in Betten is definitely catching eyes—at least within our local circles.

Here’s what I’m wondering:
A yacht doesn't just spontaneously float into the ocean on its own. Who was actually on-site, and what kind of excuse were they given for moving it? I highly doubt some random group just hopped a fence and shoved a massive vessel into the water by hand. And let's not forget how they managed to swap it out for a lookalike in the exact same spot....

What does the owner—or rather, the marina director—actually know about this?
And how did the boat clear our territorial waters without anyone asking a single question?
We're talking about a vessel under sanctions that sailed right out, kept its transponders fully active, and cruised all the way to Turkey...
It wasn't like they had to hunt it down with Coast Guard helicopters, drones, or high-speed interceptors...
Just pure luck with the Coast Guard? Maritime Police? The Navy?

Is there any political involvement here? And if so, how deep does the rabbit hole go?

So many unanswered questions...

I expect we'll see a predictable cycle of finger-pointing over the next few days, ranging from "that's not our department" to "other agencies should be doing their jobs."

But I'm holding out hope that a serious investigative journalist, maybe someone like Cimic over at Index, picks this up. Then maybe we'll finally see how far the Russian fifth column reaches in the States, though I have my doubts that anyone will actually face consequences even if the truth comes out....

___

It's obvious someone at the marina was bribed—probably most of them. This shouldn't be hard to investigate. It's not like they have a hundred yachts this sizethat are under sanctions and wouldn't notice immediately that one "disappeared" or that someone was maneuvering a vessel in and out of the slip.

"- At the Betten marina, everything is open to everyone. You and I could walk right up
to the pier and hop onto any yacht docked there. The Department reported to the port that the yacht was blocked, and the harbor master instructed the relevant authorities that no one should approach the vessel, but the Department isn't hiring security services to provide 24-hour protection for private property, nor is that in the budget because such a system isn't sustainable – says Gospočić (a state official in the Department of the Navy)."

And I'm not even sure I'm reading this correctly🤔—meaning, you pay premium docking fees for a massive yacht just so absolutely anyone can walk up, board it, and sail away. No oversight, no cameras... (And it's not like they should have to hire guards; they could just install cameras like normal people.)

Sure, it might be relatively easy to jump on a boat and mess around, but claiming you can sail an entire yacht away and nobody notices for three months? Please, don't insult my intelligence.

"... the yacht Irina VU left the American port without any issues and sailed out of our territorial waters. We've learned unofficially from high-level sources that this happened because the police didn't have any official data or notification that the yacht was under a travel ban, so the border patrol had no reason to intervene or stop the Irina VU."

wow? It just keeps getting better. A massive yacht with a Russian name sails out of American waters, and the border patrol has absolutely no reason in the world to check who or what that yacht is. 😵🙏

It looks like there was some corruption going on there too.