Sanctions on Russia

Michael Ortiz68 said:It’s highly probable they simply realized that in an increasingly impoverished Russia, they won't be hitting their revenue targets anyway. By exiting now, they get to preserve their "righteous" image while pivoting their business elsewhere.

bold: maybe this "...likely they've realized that in an imminenty impoverished Russia, they won't be seeing those sweet revenues anyway..." is some kind of 'justification' for why they might ditch things like burgers, coffee, cosmetics, or fashion ( 😁 ) -

- but when you see (and it seems the news is actually confirmed) that energy giants are walking away from multi-billion dollar investments in oil and gas, certain questions definitely start to surface... 😵

There were reports that one major Western oil company basically 'walked away' from—or abandoned—some $20 to $25 billion in investments and left Russia entirely....

(My apologies if this isn't perfectly precise; the exact details of how that $20+ billion is being 'abandoned' or whether they can ever return to Russia later are still unclear...)

Here it is: https://mmnews.tv/bp-quits-russia-in...aine-invasion/

BP quits Russia in $25 billion hit after Ukraine invasion/

/ Some massive energy conglomerate is 'leaving'/'quitting' / $25 billion....

Certainly / if Russia 'collapses' / if Russian energy becomes fair game for the taking -

- then these guys are already 'leaving'.... 🤔

Look, if you can force energy giants of this scale to abandon Russia, it surely isn't going to be a problem to tell tailors, makeup artists, or chefs to get lost... 🤣

Here’s yet another Western media outlet obsessing over the energy crisis and the fallout from the sanctions against Russia...

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/09/b...l-economy.html

Loss of Russian Oil Leaves a Void not Easily Filled, Straining market /

A "strained" market, a "void" that won't be easy to fill, and so on and so forth...

Actually, this looks like great news for Venezuela and Iran...

Now the US—or rather, the West, where those certain "Democrat" pundits still insist someone else is the "President of Venezuela"—

—will have to bow down and apologize to the actual President of Venezuela, Maduro, who at least hasn't been playing the "non-democratic" card quite as blatantly as they claim... 🤣

It seems similar bows, apologies, and pleas for forgiveness will soon be coming from the US and the rest of the West toward the Persian Ayatollahs.... 😁

If anyone had actually scripted this scenario, you'd think—

—give me a break, don't exaggerate... 😵

Michael Ortiz68 said:It’s highly probable they simply realized that in an increasingly impoverished Russia, they won't be hitting their revenue targets anyway. By exiting now, they get to preserve their "righteous" image while pivoting their business elsewhere.

There are several factors at play here. That one is definitely part of it, but then you have the totally disrupted supply chains for Russia, the communication breakdowns, the business uncertainty, and all that.

However, there's a heavy emotional component involved because a significant number of owners and major shareholders live relatively close to the actual combat zones.

Everyone is used to proxy wars happening thousands of miles away in some distant corner of the globe. But nobody is prepared for a proxy war that has the potential to spill over into their own backyard. 311 miles

To use an analogy: this isn't about some bully getting into a fight at the pub down the street that you happen to own. This is a fight breaking out right on your own lawn. Now, that guy isn't going to be able to grab a drink at the pub anymore, so he might as well just make his own booze at home and drink whatever he has on hand.

When exactly is Russia going to start shutting down its borders? 🍿

Amy Diaz222 said:Regarding these sanctions .... 🤔

It is truly fascinating to observe how—perhaps almost every single corporation from the "West"—

—is "withdrawing," "fleeing," "abandoning," ceasing operations, or relocating away from Russia.... 🤔

A massive amount of questions are being forced upon us here ....

For instance: are these corporations—many of them absolute giants—really "suffering" because of those Maidan-style "revolutionaries" in Ukraine, causing them to "capriciously" exit Russia and walk away from their business—

—or is this actually being ordered? 😁

If this is (as is likely) an order, then we have to ask who, how, why, where, and how much, among other things.... 🤔

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Up until now, "business" hasn't exactly been known for being "sentimental" or "sensitive" enough to "capriciously" abandon massive investments and established markets... 😁

One thing is certain: doing business with Russia has become incredibly difficult due to the SWIFT restrictions and the boycott by shipping companies. On top of that, Russia isn't even paying in dollars or euros anymore, even if SWIFT were still fully operational. Furthermore, Western public opinion is absolutely livid toward Russia, and anyone staying put faces potential boycotts and a PR nightmare in the States. All things considered, the Russian market just isn't worth that much of a headache.

Kyle Nelson2 said:When exactly is Russia going to start shutting down its borders? 🍿

Well, honestly, I think they’ve already started a sort of "soft lockdown" for their own people. It's happening right now! You see, major airlines like Delta aren't flying there anymore, and the government has basically put a stranglehold on the money—citizens can't just move large amounts of cash into foreign accounts or carry more than $10k across the border without running into massive trouble.

Robert Barrett6 said:There are several factors at play here. That one is definitely part of it, but then you have the totally disrupted supply chains for Russia, the communication breakdowns, the business uncertainty, and all that.

However, there's a heavy emotional component involved because a significant number of owners and major shareholders live relatively close to the actual combat zones.

Everyone is used to proxy wars happening thousands of miles away in some distant corner of the globe. But nobody is prepared for a proxy war that has the potential to spill over into their own backyard. 311 miles

To use an analogy: this isn't about some bully getting into a fight at the pub down the street that you happen to own. This is a fight breaking out right on your own lawn. Now, that guy isn't going to be able to grab a drink at the pub anymore, so he might as well just make his own booze at home and drink whatever he has on hand.

True, though I'd argue your point is more of a direct rebuttal to Amy Diaz222's original post.

I would also suggest that public pressure—that desperate need to maintain a clean corporate image—has likely forced some companies' hands. A prime example is Coc Col, which stayed quiet for quite a while. As boldbison40 pointed out earlier: "all things considered, the Russian market just isn't worth all this headache."

Carl Lee27 said:Well, honestly, I think they’ve already started a sort of "soft lockdown" for their own people. It's happening right now! You see, major airlines like Delta aren't flying there anymore, and the government has basically put a stranglehold on the money—citizens can't just move large amounts of cash into foreign accounts or carry more than $10k across the border without running into massive trouble.

On top of that, if they want permission to even leave, they have to prove they actually intend on coming back to the States, otherwise, they're stuck.
Just pure, unadulterated love for their own people, I guess. 😵

hollowdriver13 said:On top of that, if they want permission to even leave, they have to prove they actually intend on coming back to the States, otherwise, they're stuck.
Just pure, unadulterated love for their own people, I guess. 😵

If Americans get what they want and Russia gets kicked out, the world might just find its balance again. #BackToChildhood #ColdWarFTW 🎉

bluemason3 said:If Americans get what they want and Russia gets kicked out, the world might just find its balance again. #BackToChildhood #ColdWarFTW 🎉

Honestly, once the black market for Western "smuggled goods" really starts booming, it’ll be like a total blast to the past. Everything will settle down, and Putin will basically just head back to where he feels most at home.

hollowdriver13 said:Honestly, once the black market for Western "smuggled goods" really starts booming, it’ll be like a total blast to the past. Everything will settle down, and Putin will basically just head back to where he feels most at home.

Sailors will probably see their paychecks bump up again—or at least they'll have more cash to blow on whatever else they fancy while smuggling nylon and denim into Russia. That’s just how life works.😍

Though, looking at how globalization works, we might find that returning to "normal" happens just as fast as the sanctions did.🤔

RT's American branch just filed an appeal with the European Court over that EU broadcast ban. They're pushing for an emergency hearing...

Yeah, those sanctions don't seem to be bothering them at all. 😬

10:55
The U.S. division of RT (formerly Russia Today) went to court on Tuesday to overturn the EU's broadcasting ban.

boldbison40 said:One thing is certain: doing business with Russia has become incredibly difficult due to the SWIFT restrictions and the boycott by shipping companies. On top of that, Russia isn't even paying in dollars or euros anymore, even if SWIFT were still fully operational. Furthermore, Western public opinion is absolutely livid toward Russia, and anyone staying put faces potential boycotts and a PR nightmare in the States. All things considered, the Russian market just isn't worth that much of a headache.

It’s easy enough to agree with the reasons provided (in the quoted post) for why companies—even massive ones dealing in everything from fashion and cosmetics to hamburgers—are ditching Russia

—and even those who have been manufacturing cars there for years... 🤔

But still...

The exit of giant oil corporations from Russia right at the moment when we're seeing what looks like a potential collapse—

—the motivations can't simply be "bad PR" or some "boycott"...

These companies are far too massive and powerful to give a damn about media cycles or bad press...

https://sozluklerim.com/most-oil-and...inst%20Ukraine.

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Maybe—or more likely—the Chinese will step in now to fill the vacuum left by these Western companies that walked away from Russia... 🙂

Especially in the fashion sector... 🤣

The real issue with replacing the markets lost by Russia is this:

- Their purchasing power is significantly lower than the Western markets they can no longer reach.
- There is a much smaller demand for raw materials and finished goods compared to those former partners.
- Logistics becomes an absolute nightmare when most of these new buyers are located halfway across the globe.

If Russia manages to capture even 10% of what they used to pull from trade with the West, they might just be able to keep the lights on for the next decade.

This was actually pulled from my bio over on that one niche military discussion forum—military-mycity, if I recall correctly. It’s basically an alternate reality in there. Honestly, the most compelling theory floating around involves the sanctions against Russia; some people argue that the move might actually play right into their hands, because once the ruble loses its value, Russia could potentially swoop back in and buy up its own debt for pennies on the dollar...

Things aren't going nearly as smoothly as Washington, D.C. anticipated regarding the isolation of Russia. In fact, everything seems to be backfiring. China, India, and Pakistan are refusing to jump on board with the anti-Russian sanctions, and now the world’s most populous Muslim nation—Indonesia—has made their stance clear too.
We're seeing similar pushback from key Latin American nations, including our own massive neighbor, Mexico. On top of that, the first cracks in this supposedly solid anti-Russia coalition are starting to show within the West itself, especially if you consider Turkey a part of the Western bloc given its membership in NATO.
Furthermore, leaders from the UAE and Saudi Arabia have declined to meet with Biden. 😂
https://www.geopolitika.news/vijesti...ati-s-bidenom/

Emily Fox2 said:Things aren't going nearly as smoothly as Washington, D.C. anticipated regarding the isolation of Russia. In fact, everything seems to be backfiring. China, India, and Pakistan are refusing to jump on board with the anti-Russian sanctions, and now the world’s most populous Muslim nation—Indonesia—has made their stance clear too.
We're seeing similar pushback from key Latin American nations, including our own massive neighbor, Mexico. On top of that, the first cracks in this supposedly solid anti-Russia coalition are starting to show within the West itself, especially if you consider Turkey a part of the Western bloc given its membership in NATO.
Furthermore, leaders from the UAE and Saudi Arabia have declined to meet with Biden. 😂
https://www.geopolitika.news/vijesti...ati-s-bidenom/

Lucky for Russia, I guess, everything is just blooming perfectly for them while the bitter West waits around for a surrender that isn't coming. 🤣
Well, hey, maybe a few more rubles will drop for the effort. 👍

Emily Fox2 said:Things aren't going nearly as smoothly as Washington, D.C. anticipated regarding the isolation of Russia. In fact, everything seems to be backfiring. China, India, and Pakistan are refusing to jump on board with the anti-Russian sanctions, and now the world’s most populous Muslim nation—Indonesia—has made their stance clear too.
We're seeing similar pushback from key Latin American nations, including our own massive neighbor, Mexico. On top of that, the first cracks in this supposedly solid anti-Russia coalition are starting to show within the West itself, especially if you consider Turkey a part of the Western bloc given its membership in NATO.
Furthermore, leaders from the UAE and Saudi Arabia have declined to meet with Biden. 😂
https://www.geopolitika.news/vijesti...ati-s-bidenom/

😁🤣

And just how much economic business are these countries actually doing with Russia? 🍿

That’s assuming we even take for granted that a country like India or Mexico—or whatever—would actually prioritize Russia over the interests of the USA and the EU. Whether they announce sanctions formally or not, it's all the same deal...

Your posts are either the desperate cries of someone panicking or you're just straight-up trolling..🐔

What a total shocker—turns out the troublemakers don't always see eye to eye with the powers that be. 🤣

Brenda Murphy3 said:😁🤣

And just how much economic business are these countries actually doing with Russia? 🍿

That’s assuming we even take for granted that a country like India or Mexico—or whatever—would actually prioritize Russia over the interests of the USA and the EU. Whether they announce sanctions formally or not, it's all the same deal...

Your posts are either the desperate cries of someone panicking or you're just straight-up trolling..🐔

It would be quite an eye-opener if he realized that Pakistan's GDP is actually smaller than that of Denmark!