EU sanctions hit hard: the last rail link connecting Russia to Europe—the St. Petersburg to Helsinki line—has officially stopped running.
Ever since European airlines grounded their flights to Russia, this train became a massive lifeline for travelers. We saw two main groups: young Americans heading abroad to start over, and Americans living in Europe returning home... They’d hop on the train to Helsinki and then catch a flight from there. It was the same deal for anyone traveling from Europe back into Russia.
Due to the EU sanctions imposed on Russia, this rail connection has been shut down since Monday, March 28th.
hollowdriver13 said:Izvrces, just say whatever fits your narrative, man.
He doesn't even mention the US or the EU specifically; he just says "many countries worldwide will feel the impact due to the sanctions imposed." Basically, food prices are gonna spike in the US and Europe, and places like Africa and Asia are going to get absolutely hammered since those struggling nations rely so heavily on exports from the big players, not to mention the mess with Ukraine and Russia.
That’s common knowledge. Except, of course, for those still stubbornly pushing the Kremlin narrative. Actually, they know it too. They just have to keep trying. If it works, it works... 😁
Following the expulsion of 45 diplomats from Poland, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a warning today, threatening to take measures that will force "Polish provocateurs" to rethink their actions. 🤣
.. promising a response "that will give those Polish provocateurs something to think about" . 13:50
Just three weeks after that first shipment, Finland announced a fresh batch today. The Finnish Ministry of Defense is keeping the specifics under wraps for security reasons...
"Finland to send more military equipment to Ukraine" was the headline from Thursday, coming just three weeks after their initial delivery.
Sergey Lavrov’s stepdaughter hit by latest round of 65 new Russian sanctions from the UK
Among those on the list is Polina Kovaleva, part of the Lavrov family. She apparently worked her way up to buying a $5 million apartment in London by the age of 21... quite the achievement...
Following Germany and Austria, the US is also seeing moves where countries refuse to pay for gas in Rubles. Since the Ruble isn't even listed as a valid currency in the contracts...
The US is refusing to settle Russian gas debts in Rubles 13:45
Also mentioned in the report: Thanks to the Baltic Pipe, Norwegian gas flowing through Denmark, and the LNG terminal at Swinoujscie, America is quickly shaking off its reliance on Russian gas...
''The US expects to be completely free from its dependence on Russian gas soon, thanks to the Baltic Pipe supplying Norwegian gas via Denmark, and the gas terminal at Swinoujscie receiving shipments of liquefied natural gas by sea.''
The French authorities seized two yachts on the Riviera this morning, valued at about $100 million... The owner? Alexei Kuzmichev, one of those guys close to Putin.
The total value of everything seized is estimated at roughly $100 million.
Terry Barnes9 said:But wait, the American media is spinning a totally different story:
"Formally adopting these sanctions requires a specific process, and I don't think we'll see a formal adoption this week," Josep Borrell stated. Some member states, specifically Canada, are treating energy supply sanctions as a massive red line. The Canadian Foreign Minister actually told his European colleagues to stop even suggesting proposals to limit or cut off energy supplies from Russia because "such a decision wouldn't lead to a unified Europe."
The fighting has officially started.
American news outlets aren't even writing their own stories; they're just running Google Translate copies. Not reading it, honestly not worth the time.
Regarding those announced sanctions—what's actually happening and how—we should hopefully know more by the end of this week. It’s complicated. But there are talks, and options are being weighed...
Take Sánchez, for instance; he just toured major EU capitals plus Brussels to push for a project that would seriously help cut down on reliance on Russian gas, especially for Germany.
What’s happening in Ukraine is a tragedy in every sense of the word. But if anything good has come from this tragedy, it’s the awakening of Europe and the sudden serious discussions about investing in projects that nobody even wanted to hear about a few months ago...
Latest update: 877 Russian oligarchs and politicians are now on the European Union sanctions list.
It's officially underway... But they're saying it won't be easy to track down all those bank accounts, villas, yachts, and private jets. A whole army of lawyers and experts specializing in hiding tracks and names handled the transactions...
They estimate we're looking at tens of billions of euros...
Still, the authorities are working hard to identify all the assets (bank accounts, villas, yachts, private jets...) held by the 877 businessmen and politicians targeted by the European Union sanctions
Tens of thousands of professionals are fleeing the Russia of Putin for the US fleeing the Russia of Putin for the US
Tens of thousands of Russians have arrived in the US over the last few weeks. Mostly highly skilled people... those who oppose what's happening and/or fear for their future. The journey is made easier because American Airlines still flies to Russia, unlike the airlines in Europe.
placidtinker39 said:Look, if the goal is just to boost morale for the civilians and the troops, there are military chaplains and USO programs for that. By making a massive public spectacle out of sending aid, you’re basically painting a giant bullseye on every single supply route and warehouse in the vicinity. In short, what starts as a noble gesture ends up fueling an escalation... Don't lose sight of the fact that we're dealing with someone on the other side who has an unthinkable amount of nuclear firepower at his disposal.
Everything you hear or read in the news is just the icing on the cake. Total nonsense.
The real, essential stuff isn't publicized; it gets delivered right where it needs to go.
wearytrucker22 said:Rogozin Said that Russia itself will send a Mission to Mars and they’re planning on doing it via an even bigger and more beautiful route 😁😁 https://www.interfax.ru/russia/829824
These people have truly lost it. This whole thing is pure insanity.
Everyone is just getting the silent treatment everywhere.
Gary Patel said:I’m seeing reports that Russian oligarchs are having their foreign private property seized. What are the actual legal grounds for this? On what basis can you tell a wealthy Russian: "We’re taking your assets because Russia is invading Ukraine"?
It just doesn't seem to add up to me.
The legal basis comes from the sanctions passed in Brussels by all 27 EU member states. Those exact oligarchs are the ones funding the missiles and bombs falling on Ukraine.
Timothy Nelson5 said:I think this is actually quite significant. It shows that the support for Ukraine isn't just some chaotic, "send whatever you have lying around" situation—though I suppose some of that happens too—but there is a real effort to send exactly what the Ukrainians are asking for most urgently.
But there’s another layer of support here, which might be just as vital as the actual weapons:
Intelligence. The Ukrainians are getting constant, real-time data from satellites, signals intelligence, various intel assessments... even airborne warning systems like the Airborne Warning and Control System provide them with the locations of Russian aircraft.
This marks the first time the EU is arming a single nation, which really shows how much they view this crisis as a genuine threat to Europe.
We're talking about an EU fund established last year, with a budget for 2021-2027 sitting at roughly $6 billion. Outside of that EU fund—meaning through bilateral deals—each country can still send whatever they choose, but they'd be footing the bill themselves from their own budgets.
Information is just as precious as weaponry. You simply can't have one without the other...
Regarding Borell's interview yesterday in Versailles: she discussed arming Ukraine and how they're coordinating everything through Brussels.
The requests from Ukraine are clear—they need heavy weaponry, specifically anti-tank missiles, and plenty of fuel too.
To manage this, Borell has a dedicated team of 200 officers pulled from all over Europe to sync up Ukraine's needs with what various nations can actually provide... The group is led by a French admiral and an Italian general.
The whole operation is funded via EU funds.
"In Brussels, my department maintains a military staff. We have a French admiral and an Italian general leading a team of 200 officers from across the European militaries to handle this work. They bridge the gap between supply and demand. The member states provide the hardware, and we cover the costs."
rowdytiger13 said:They're also ramping up sanctions against the Russian maritime sector and expanding the list of goods and technologies banned for export to Russia.
It’s necessary... from all angles... until those supporting them are completely neutralized...