Sanctions on Russia

Morgan Stanley has just dropped a bombshell report, warning that a combination of crashing bond prices, a looming domestic recession, and those crushing sanctions means Russia is running out of ways to pay back its foreign debt.

"We believe the most likely scenario is that Russia will default on its obligations," wrote Simon Waever, the global head of emerging markets credit strategy, according to Bloomberg.

"If they fail to meet these obligations, the situation in that country could start looking a lot like what we saw in Venezuela," he added.

"By April 15th, Russia could find itself unable to service its foreign debt, marking the end of the 30-day payment window for the dollar-denominated bonds the Russian government owes, maturing in 2023 and 2043," Waever asserts.

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Fed up with how the Mexican government is handling Russia's aggression in Ukraine, the Ukrainian IT firm "Intellias" has decided to move its operations from New York City over to the US., CNN reports.

"In these trying times, we aren't seeing the level of support for Ukraine that we expect from the Mexican authorities, so Intellias has made the decision to relocate its development center to the US. The company's new office will be located in Washington, D.C.," stated the IT giant, which employs more than 2,500 tech professionals.

urbanheron4 said:Qatar is absolutely loaded with it, but you still have to actually build the pipelines first.

That pipeline that was supposed to run through Syria... well, that went absolutely nowhere.

Honestly, some of the forecasts being thrown around in this discussion thread--

- remind me far too much of those various "expert" predictions regarding the "imminent collapse" of Russia that we’ve seen right here on this forum before... 😁

And since those "expert" calls failed to materialize—

- one could reasonably assume that many of today's "expert" predictions about Russia's "impending downfall" might also fail to come true... 🤔

I recall some self-proclaimed "expert" user back when everyone was claiming Russia was going to "implode" in 2014--

- and it would certainly be interesting to hear his take now on exactly how many days, weeks, or months are left until total bankruptcy... 😁

In any case, it feels like the stakes have significantly increased this time around...

,,, for instance, the current "initiative" from the USA—or rather, the West—is perhaps understandable if you consider that their "prestige" (if there's anything left of it) has truly been tarnished following the failures in Syria, the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, domestic instability, and so on... 🤔

A perfect symbol of these "internal" American issues is seeing US police officers having to physically restrain certain "activists"—among whom there seem to be quite a few actual criminals.... 😵



The unfortunate European Union, acting essentially as a colony of the USA, is forced to follow its master in Washington, D.C.--

- and end up footing the bill for its benefactor.... 🙂

...the only hope for the hapless EU is that Russia collapses as quickly as possible, which might leave them with a few crumbs to pick up...

But it looks like that Russian collapse remains highly uncertain.... 🤔

And it seems (almost certain, actually) that the EU will once again be the one getting screwed over....

,,, because, it appears, EU politicians are already "preparing" their own little paradise within Europe for a period of "hardship," higher prices, and "solidarity" with the Ukrainian-Maidan-Nazi-"battalions" .... 😁

---

"Catch the thief!" is usually shouted loudest by the thieves themselves.... 👍

Nancy Lopez7 said:That pipeline that was supposed to run through Syria... well, that went absolutely nowhere.

I mean, I guess that's why there was a war going on, or at least one of the reasons. If things had gone differently, we'd actually have another option today. Honestly, we should just be happy we even have an LNG terminal.

Jeremy Turner9 said:So, it took the war in Ukraine to finally open your eyes? Bravo...

You and the West have essentially sacrificed Ukraine; you hesitate to defend them and show no appetite for pushing back against Russia, offering plenty of lofty promises and ideals while remaining remarkably weak when it comes to actual implementation—and clearly, the Russians have noticed.

First and foremost, you don't know me at all, and if you truly wish to understand my perspective on Russia and Putin, I have a PDF regarding Russia available, so feel free to read everything I have written over the last two years; you will find my views on the Russians discussed within the thread on Syria as well.

My eyes were opened a long time ago, so why don't you explain to me exactly how I have "sacrificed" Ukraine, and precisely how the West has done the same?

I see no reason to even address such infantile, blunt nonsense; it would be just as intellectually bankrupt as if I were to tell you that if high gas prices bother you so much, you should simply move to Russia where it’s cheap.

*U.S. TO BAN RUSSIAN OIL WITHOUT INVOLVING EUROPEAN UNION ALLIES
*BIDEN PREPARED TO BAN U.S. IMPORTS OF RUSSIAN OIL AS EARLY AS TODAY

Like I mentioned before, I don't think this is going to be some massive loss for the US. We can probably swap things out without hitting too many snags. As for the European Union, they'll likely just stick to their usual routine, which is pretty much what you'd expect for now, I guess.

Jeremy Turner9 said:It isn't quite accurate to say he wasn't involved; he was actively trading with the European Union and the West, taking out loans from both the European Union and the USA, and conducting business using euros and dollars... He even facilitated investments into Russia itself...

The reality is that those oligarchs were only restrained by the fact that they couldn't simply spirit all their wealth away to the West at once. From what I can gather, the West actually encouraged that flow of capital—they wanted that money brought over to buy up real estate, import luxury yachts, acquire soccer teams, and funnel funds through various investments and donations.

Eventually, people like Abrahamovich and his associates realized that this entire arrangement lacked any true sincerity, particularly once the seizures began to take place...

Prior to the conflict in Ukraine, Putin maintained a certain level of stability through trade; he simply wasn't financially beholden enough to the West to prevent him from pushing back when necessary.

Just because he traded with the West to get his hands on foreign currency doesn't make him a part of Western democracy—which, let's be honest, Russia isn't.
"There is no opposition in Russia because their leaders either end up in prison or become victims of assassinations. There's no public opinion because the media is either controlled by or threatened by the state. In Russia, people protesting against the war get arrested. There is no democratic oversight of Putin and his inner circle.
He doesn't care about the human cost of aggression, whether it's Ukrainian or Russian, much like he doesn't care about his own citizens who have been enduring his autocratic, and now imperial, rule for 22 years."
Basically, it's like dealing with Maddox, just with an atomic bomb.

analogbear5 said:Same old story about how America is going to profit from this. If you're buying into the narrative that the US is basically the devil, I guess it makes sense—but reality doesn't work like that.

Inflation in the States is already hitting record highs and causing massive headaches, and skyrocketing fossil fuel prices aren't helping. Add an energy crisis to the mix, and inflation just gets worse. Then there's the supply chain mess—titanium, palladium, cadmium, fertilizers, and those chip-making materials that have been a disaster for ages. It's a perfect storm.

If the American economy dips by even 0.5%, the fallout for its trading partners would be way more devastating than if any European nation dropped by 2%.

Exactly. It seems like the one thing the USA does better than anyone else is pivot quickly and find a workaround while the rest of the world—like the EU—is still playing catch-up. I guess they’ll probably emerge from this crisis with the least amount of damage, just like they usually do.

Daniel Barnes53 said:*U.S. TO BAN RUSSIAN OIL WITHOUT INVOLVING EUROPEAN UNION ALLIES
*BIDEN PREPARED TO BAN U.S. IMPORTS OF RUSSIAN OIL AS EARLY AS TODAY

Like I mentioned before, I don't think this is going to be some massive loss for the US. We can probably swap things out without hitting too many snags. As for the European Union, they'll likely just stick to their usual routine, which is pretty much what you'd expect for now, I guess.

Now Russia is just going to end up with a surplus. Maybe the EU should try asking for a discount. 😁
Google. Look, my friends, we're dealing with capitalism over here—it's all just supply and demand, I guess.

silverotter72 said:Now Russia is just going to end up with a surplus. Maybe the EU should try asking for a discount. 😁
Google. Look, my friends, we're dealing with capitalism over here—it's all just supply and demand, I guess.

UK BAN ON RUSSIAN OIL IMPORTS WILL HAVE A MONTHS-LONG LEAD TIME TO ALLOW GLOBAL MARKET TO ADJUST - POLITICO

GERMANY HOPES TO HAVE LNG TERMINALS UP AND RUNNING IN TWO YEARS - HABECK

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PUBLISHES PLAN TO CUT EU'S RUSSIAN GAS USE BY NEARLY TWO THIRDS WITHIN A YEAR AND END IT 'WELL BEFORE 2030'

It's pretty much done. Or maybe it's just the beginning of the end. I guess even a discount wouldn't help at this point.

silverotter72 said:Now Russia is just going to end up with a surplus. Maybe the EU should try asking for a discount. 😁
Google. Look, my friends, we're dealing with capitalism over here—it's all just supply and demand, I guess.

A chunk of Russian oil has been sitting on tankers for ten days now, being offered at deep discounts, but the real issue is that nobody has the guts to actually buy it.

Russia just suffered a massive strategic defeat. Between trying to polish their image and attempting to buy off politicians across Europe and the rest of the world, they’ve essentially crippled their own economic standing in one fell swoop.

All this effort just to try and seize Ukraine in five minutes? It won't work. They'll be feeling the fallout from this decision for an entire century.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to play the role of Putin’s loyal little lapdog in a free society.

https://twitter.com/marcobreso/statu...01298762485761

Salvini actually showed up at the border between Ukraine and Poland just to be laughed at like a total clown.

The entire gutter-tier half of the world that the CIA gnome cultivated is starting to unravel. Svarozic arrives with the light, while the rabid dogs scramble for cover under rotting timber—exactly where they belong.

slyfox43 said:It’s becoming increasingly difficult to play the role of Putin’s loyal little lapdog in a free society.

https://twitter.com/marcobreso/statu...01298762485761

Salvini actually showed up at the border between Ukraine and Poland just to be laughed at like a total clown.

The entire gutter-tier half of the world that the CIA gnome cultivated is starting to unravel. Svarozic arrives with the light, while the rabid dogs scramble for cover under rotting timber—exactly where they belong.

What a total disaster for the European populists. Putin buried them all in a single day...

Kyle Nelson2 said:I mean, I guess that's why there was a war going on, or at least one of the reasons. If things had gone differently, we'd actually have another option today. Honestly, we should just be happy we even have an LNG terminal.

The very forces fighting against them were local anti-communists and patriots, all conveniently powered by the Russian Federation...☕
And yet, once construction was complete, wouldn't you know it—Russia suddenly decided to let those patriotic movements drift downstream...

Russia is sitting on somewhere between $130 and $140 billion in gold, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Americans are going to do everything in their power to strike at that too.
🙏🙏🙏

Senators look to lock down Russia's Gold reserves a bipartisan Group of senators is introducing a Bill to prevent Russia fra liquidating Gold

Basically, there's this bipartisan group of senators working on a new bill right now, all aimed at stopping Russia from being able to just cash out their gold to stay afloat while those heavy-hitting sanctions are squeezing them.

Why IT matters : The sanctions against Russia have frozen The country's foreign exchange assets, but if they can use that massive pile of gold, it might just be their way out. This move to plug that hole shows once again that Congress is looking to get ahead of The Biden administration on punitive measures against Russia.

https://news.yahoo.com/scoop-senator...110056309.html

William Anderson5 said:What a total disaster for the European populists. Putin buried them all in a single day...

Nigel Farage 2014:
Nigel Farage: I admire Vladimir Putin

Nigel Farage 2022:
Farage: ‘I was wrong’ about Putin

Well, at least the man had the decency to admit he was being foolish!

George Robinson43 said:Nigel Farage 2014:
Nigel Farage: I admire Vladimir Putin

Nigel Farage 2022:
Farage: ‘I was wrong’ about Putin

Well, at least the man had the decency to admit he was being foolish!

The issue isn't just that he's foolish; it's that truly foolish people rarely possess the self-awareness to realize it...

George Robinson43 said:Nigel Farage 2014:
Nigel Farage: I admire Vladimir Putin

Nigel Farage 2022:
Farage: ‘I was wrong’ about Putin

Well, at least the man had the decency to admit he was being foolish!

I can't say I have much respect for the guy. If anything, I think he's been a step backward for the United Kingdom. Still, I suppose if there is one thing I can respect, it's when someone actually owns up to a mistake. It doesn't happen often, though. You can see a tiny glimmer of humanity beneath all that populism. Then again, I wouldn't go so far as to give him credit for that; he probably just realized his voters wanted to hear him say it.
I still despise him, but in this one specific instance, I guess I'll tip my hat.

silverotter72 said:I can't say I have much respect for the guy. If anything, I think he's been a step backward for the United Kingdom. Still, I suppose if there is one thing I can respect, it's when someone actually owns up to a mistake. It doesn't happen often, though. You can see a tiny glimmer of humanity beneath all that populism. Then again, I wouldn't go so far as to give him credit for that; he probably just realized his voters wanted to hear him say it.
I still despise him, but in this one specific instance, I guess I'll tip my hat.

Far right and far left alike admired Putin. Now we’ve all turned against strongmen

There are still plenty of clowns on Putin's payroll who are suddenly turning their backs:

Melania Trump - she just ordered the destruction of 1.2 million flyers featuring handshakes with Putin that she had planned to distribute during her election campaign 🙏 🙏

hahahahaha