Sanctions on Russia

How likely do you guys think it is that Russia dumps their gold and tanks the price?

steelfox98 said:Oil just hit $140, up from $130 yesterday.

Laughter is all I can muster at you and your little group of "experts." Is this really all you have left to cling to—obsessing over the price of crude and gas while maintaining that unquestioning, blind devotion to Vladimir Putin?🤣

JPMorgan Chase Drops US Treasury Bonds from all of its fixed-income indexes

Vladimir Putin's United Russia party has announced plans to nationalize the factories of Western corporations that fled Russia, claiming this move is necessary to protect workers left jobless by their departure.

Is it even believable? Very soon, we are supposedly going to see Russians producing more—and better quality—versions of Carlsberg and Heineken than the original brands themselves; they will apparently start manufacturing superior BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes, and Volkswagens compared to the Germans, alongside better footwear and apparel than Adidas, Nike, and Puma, not to mention producing television series that outshine Netflix.

In reality, these sanctions will simply continue to strengthen and enrich Russia, just as they have served to bolster the nation over the last seven years.

https://www.vedomosti.ru/economics/n...t-proizvodstva

Who exactly is running this country? The level of absurdity in these claims is truly laughable. 🤣

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has signed a new law regarding the seizure of illegally obtained assets from government officials.

Under this legislation, anyone found to possess wealth that far exceeds their declared income will have those assets confiscated.

But what does this actually signify? It looks like nothing more than a calculated attempt to pressure everyone into keeping their mouths shut, lest they lose everything they’ve stolen—especially since almost everyone within Putin's inner circle has lined their pockets over the past twenty years.

https://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/ne...podpisal-zakon

silverotter72 said:Officially and directly? There isn't a single reliable source out there.
Indirectly? You might find something here: https://www.tradingview.com/chart/Zxt4PAOj/
Every little "dip" you see is just an attempt by Russia to stabilize the Ruble and find some calm waters. If you want the truth, just watch what happens immediately after one of those drops. It’s just endless volatility and massive crashes.

Either they still have some reserves tucked away but know they won't save the Ruble—so they're just hoarding it for themselves—or they've already burned through everything they could and are now just scrambling to pick up whatever scraps fall their way.

https://warontherocks.com/2022/03/th...ns-and-russia/

Anthony Hill5 said:Vladimir Putin's United Russia party has announced plans to nationalize the factories of Western corporations that fled Russia, claiming this move is necessary to protect workers left jobless by their departure.

Is it even believable? Very soon, we are supposedly going to see Russians producing more—and better quality—versions of Carlsberg and Heineken than the original brands themselves; they will apparently start manufacturing superior BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes, and Volkswagens compared to the Germans, alongside better footwear and apparel than Adidas, Nike, and Puma, not to mention producing television series that outshine Netflix.

In reality, these sanctions will simply continue to strengthen and enrich Russia, just as they have served to bolster the nation over the last seven years.

https://www.vedomosti.ru/economics/n...t-proizvodstva

Who exactly is running this country? The level of absurdity in these claims is truly laughable. 🤣

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has signed a new law regarding the seizure of illegally obtained assets from government officials.

Under this legislation, anyone found to possess wealth that far exceeds their declared income will have those assets confiscated.

But what does this actually signify? It looks like nothing more than a calculated attempt to pressure everyone into keeping their mouths shut, lest they lose everything they’ve stolen—especially since almost everyone within Putin's inner circle has lined their pockets over the past twenty years.

https://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/ne...podpisal-zakon

Take the chip industry, for instance. They’ve dumped billions into it, but it’s been a total wash. They hit a wall at 65 nm and can't even manage mass production.

Western politicians just haven't learned—and really should have by now—that sanctions don't actually trigger regime changes or shifts in policy. They certainly aren't going to end this war. Just look at the history with Cuba, Venezuela, or Iran.

steelraven74 said:Western politicians just haven't learned—and really should have by now—that sanctions don't actually trigger regime changes or shifts in policy. They certainly aren't going to end this war. Just look at the history with Cuba, Venezuela, or Iran.

And isn't that precisely the problem? We are essentially trying to relegate Russia to the same status as those nations, despite them having every single ingredient necessary to be a top-tier global superpower.

steelraven74 said:Western politicians just haven't learned—and really should have by now—that sanctions don't actually trigger regime changes or shifts in policy. They certainly aren't going to end this war. Just look at the history with Cuba, Venezuela, or Iran.

I mean, look, these aren't even intended to force a change in leadership. The whole point is to bleed the country dry so they eventually run out of the resources needed to keep fighting.

steelraven74 said:Western politicians just haven't learned—and really should have by now—that sanctions don't actually trigger regime changes or shifts in policy. They certainly aren't going to end this war. Just look at the history with Cuba, Venezuela, or Iran.

The real question is how many people will actually stay in Russia under those conditions, particularly among the younger, most productive part of the workforce.

steelraven74 said:Western politicians just haven't learned—and really should have by now—that sanctions don't actually trigger regime changes or shifts in policy. They certainly aren't going to end this war. Just look at the history with Cuba, Venezuela, or Iran.

Even military aggression doesn't force a change in leadership or policy—something I hope Vladimir Putin is starting to realize.

Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran are poor enough that sanctions don't hit them that hard. Russia isn't—or wasn't—a poor country, so these sanctions are going to hurt.

steelraven74 said:Western politicians just haven't learned—and really should have by now—that sanctions don't actually trigger regime changes or shifts in policy. They certainly aren't going to end this war. Just look at the history with Cuba, Venezuela, or Iran.

They don't necessarily have to work that way, though I guess they will significantly weaken Russia. That's the first blow. The second one comes when we finally break our dependence on their oil, gas, and other raw materials. We might see that happen in two or three years, maybe even sooner. That would be the final nail in the coffin. Plus, the West is going to end up with a massive military advantage, since it seems the Russians are losing the arms race. At that point, all they'll have left is the threat of nuclear weapons. I suppose Vladimir Putin has done a great job setting things up this way.

steelraven74 said:Western politicians just haven't learned—and really should have by now—that sanctions don't actually trigger regime changes or shifts in policy. They certainly aren't going to end this war. Just look at the history with Cuba, Venezuela, or Iran.

I suppose the primary goal isn't actually regime change. I think the main objective is simply to impoverish them so they can't afford to fund the war anymore. If a change in leadership happens as a byproduct, then fine, great. That's a bonus.

US Says Its Oil Could Replace Imports of Russian Crude; All it would take is approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline

Maybe Canada could step up and cover the Russian oil imports the US currently relies on. I guess we're really only talking about about 3% of the total volume here.

analogbear5 said:Even military aggression doesn't force a change in leadership or policy—something I hope Vladimir Putin is starting to realize.

Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran are poor enough that sanctions don't hit them that hard. Russia isn't—or wasn't—a poor country, so these sanctions are going to hurt.

Imagine if your entire "defense strategy" was just: "It doesn't matter, we're too broke to lose anything."
That seems to be all that's left for the Putinofils. It’s honestly depressing. You supposedly love a country, yet you're perfectly fine watching it slide from a second-rate power down to a third-rate, completely irrelevant one...

A nation could potentially be blackmailed to the point where they'd trade away their nuclear program just for basic necessities and some change. It's shameful.

They've really hit rock bottom here... truly low...

Daniel Barnes53 said:US Says Its Oil Could Replace Imports of Russian Crude; All it would take is approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline

Maybe Canada could step up and cover the Russian oil imports the US currently relies on. I guess we're really only talking about about 3% of the total volume here.

Honestly, the USA could just replace that same supply themselves. Americans have plenty of oil at home; they could certainly ramp up production if they wanted to. I suppose it really just comes down to whatever ends up being more cost-effective at the pump.

Daniel Barnes53 said:They don't necessarily have to work that way, though I guess they will significantly weaken Russia. That's the first blow. The second one comes when we finally break our dependence on their oil, gas, and other raw materials. We might see that happen in two or three years, maybe even sooner. That would be the final nail in the coffin. Plus, the West is going to end up with a massive military advantage, since it seems the Russians are losing the arms race. At that point, all they'll have left is the threat of nuclear weapons. I suppose Vladimir Putin has done a great job setting things up this way.

Europe is definitely going to feel the brunt of this. But hey, I guess we're right on the edge of seeing how it all plays out, so we'll just have to wait and see who manages to come out on top.

Anthony Hill5 said:Vladimir Putin's United Russia party has announced plans to nationalize the factories of Western corporations that fled Russia, claiming this move is necessary to protect workers left jobless by their departure.

Is it even believable? Very soon, we are supposedly going to see Russians producing more—and better quality—versions of Carlsberg and Heineken than the original brands themselves; they will apparently start manufacturing superior BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes, and Volkswagens compared to the Germans, alongside better footwear and apparel than Adidas, Nike, and Puma, not to mention producing television series that outshine Netflix.

In reality, these sanctions will simply continue to strengthen and enrich Russia, just as they have served to bolster the nation over the last seven years.

https://www.vedomosti.ru/economics/n...t-proizvodstva

Who exactly is running this country? The level of absurdity in these claims is truly laughable. 🤣

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has signed a new law regarding the seizure of illegally obtained assets from government officials.

Under this legislation, anyone found to possess wealth that far exceeds their declared income will have those assets confiscated.

But what does this actually signify? It looks like nothing more than a calculated attempt to pressure everyone into keeping their mouths shut, lest they lose everything they’ve stolen—especially since almost everyone within Putin's inner circle has lined their pockets over the past twenty years.

https://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/ne...podpisal-zakon

🤣

It feels like Americans don't even know what they're doing anymore...

Morgan Morales4 said:Europe is definitely going to feel the brunt of this. But hey, I guess we're right on the edge of seeing how it all plays out, so we'll just have to wait and see who manages to come out on top.

But what else is there? Just sit around and let Moscow hold us hostage indefinitely? Europe needs to make a move now, if they haven't missed the window entirely. The real culprits are the Germans, who stubbornly refused to diversify because they assumed those US recommendations were just part of some broader American foreign policy agenda. Now that Putin has finally stabbed them in the back, maybe the Swabians will finally wake up...

silverotter72 said:Honestly, the USA could just replace that same supply themselves. Americans have plenty of oil at home; they could certainly ramp up production if they wanted to. I suppose it really just comes down to whatever ends up being more cost-effective at the pump.

They can, sure, though maybe not quite as fast as just pulling it in from Canada.

Also, Argentina has massive shale gas and oil reserves. With enough Western investment over the next few years, that could become a huge player.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) actually ranks Permian Basin's non-conventional gas resources as the second largest globally, right behind Eagle Ford.

Looking at the most recent EIA data—dating back to September 2015—Argentina’s total reserves hit about 308 billion cubic feet, which is roughly 38% of the total. That puts them second in the world, trailing only China at 1.12 trillion cubic feet.

When you look at individual country stats, Argentina's technically recoverable shale gas and oil reserves sit at 802 billion cubic feet and 27 billion barrels.

The U.S. Department of Energy calculated that Combined, the shale gas and oil resources from the US and Argentina make up 32% of the world's crude and 10% of its natural gas.

So, when it comes to oil and gas, there are absolutely alternatives to Russia. It might be a more expensive route if you're looking at it through the lens of the European Union, but the options are definitely there.