Sanctions on Russia

babarej said:Honestly, why would India even care about what’s going on in Ukraine? It’s just like how most people in the European Union don't give a second thought to the absolute chaos happening across Africa or Asia. Unless there’s a direct benefit or a looming problem hitting their doorstep, why bother getting involved? They have more than enough domestic issues to deal with as it is; that’s where their focus needs to be.

Oh, they'll care soon enough. Once a conflict breaks out over Taiwan, you can bet Western politicians will be sucking up to Indian leaders 24/7, desperate to drag them into some "good vs. evil" coalition. ☕

Nathan Evans78 said:Oh, they'll care soon enough. Once a conflict breaks out over Taiwan, you can bet Western politicians will be sucking up to Indian leaders 24/7, desperate to drag them into some "good vs. evil" coalition. ☕

Who cares? Most of China's weapons are Russian or based on Russian tech—stuff that’s getting absolutely shredded in Ukraine right now.

Don't sweat that part. Xi isn't some reckless lunatic like Putin. And honestly, after throwing their soldiers off cliffs, India would probably love nothing more than to shove him into a corner right next to China.

Nathan Evans78 said:Oh, they'll care soon enough. Once a conflict breaks out over Taiwan, you can bet Western politicians will be sucking up to Indian leaders 24/7, desperate to drag them into some "good vs. evil" coalition. ☕

I would have argued previously that India would be forced to grovel to the West because their military is so heavily reliant on Russian hardware, but current trends suggest Russia is rapidly becoming nothing more than a puppet for China. This leads me to wonder: how exactly does Russia plan to sell weaponry to a Chinese adversary if they are being held firmly in Beijing's grip? Furthermore, one must consider whether the Russian defense industry—stripped of essential Western components—is even capable of anything more significant than supplying skirmishes between tribal factions in Africa.

India is part of the Quad and has been making significant moves alongside the US military while ramping up their purchases of American weaponry. That should be more than enough to suggest they'll need a serious prayer if they ever actually have to hold the line against China, given how close they've been to a standoff with them for quite some time now.

Anthony Hill5 said:I would have argued previously that India would be forced to grovel to the West because their military is so heavily reliant on Russian hardware, but current trends suggest Russia is rapidly becoming nothing more than a puppet for China. This leads me to wonder: how exactly does Russia plan to sell weaponry to a Chinese adversary if they are being held firmly in Beijing's grip? Furthermore, one must consider whether the Russian defense industry—stripped of essential Western components—is even capable of anything more significant than supplying skirmishes between tribal factions in Africa.

Back in 2010, about 80% of India's arms imports came from Russia.
By 2020, that number had already dropped to 35%, and I'm pretty sure it's even lower now.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/...rt-by-country/

goldenorca11 said:Will Russian oil get even cheaper soon?

Quote: USA, Estonia, and Lithuania are pushing for a lowering of the price cap on Russian oil in a bid to further limit the financing of the Kremlin's war machine. The three countries propose that the ceiling, set at USD 60 per barrel in December, be cut to no more than USD 51.45. The issue of reviewing the Russian oil price cap is to be discussed on Wednesday at a meeting of member states' ambassadors to the European Union, Associated Press has learnt.

Quote: USA, Estonia, and Lithuania are pushing for a lowering of the price cap on Russian oil in a bid to further limit the financing of the Kremlin's war machine. These three nations want to take that ceiling—which was set at $60 a barrel back in December—and drop it down to no more than $51.45. According to the Associated Press, the whole discussion about revising this Russian oil price cap is happening this Wednesday during a meeting of member state ambassadors to the European Union.

https://www.thefirstnews.com/article...sian-oil-37180

#sanctions_dont_work 😁

It’s all well and good for them to take a stand. They get an A+ for effort. The issue is that those three countries aren't exactly global power players outside of the European Union.

What are they actually going to do, tell the Chinese what price they should pay for Russian oil? Especially Lithuania. 🤣

gentlestag15 said:Back in 2010, about 80% of India's arms imports came from Russia.
By 2020, that number had already dropped to 35%, and I'm pretty sure it's even lower now.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/...rt-by-country/

Here is a link regarding the Indian military's reliance on Russian weaponry.

According to certain estimates, between 70% and 90% of their entire arsenal is Russian-made.

Indian Military dependence on Russia https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en

https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en...endence-russia

Noah Diaz said:It’s all well and good for them to take a stand. They get an A+ for effort. The issue is that those three countries aren't exactly global power players outside of the European Union.

What are they actually going to do, tell the Chinese what price they should pay for Russian oil? Especially Lithuania. 🤣

Exactly. Lithuania won't be calling the shots. I have no idea where you got the notion that China has any right to make independent decisions on anything. Go back to writing fairy tales about how many Russian tanks are actually out there. ☕

Can Russia actually maintain its current daily oil production levels in the long run if they're cut off from Western extraction technology?

Word is getting out that China is quietly backing Russia, and some aid shipments have likely been heading their way for a while now.
It’s a pretty thin theory, though.

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/0...raine-00087398

Lucky Americans seem to think the rest of the world exists solely to follow their orders.

For instance, now these whiners at our major domestic airlines are demanding that everyone else take the long way around, essentially begging the world to pile up losses just like they are.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/17/u...s-ukraine.html
Banned from Russian Airspace, U.S. Airlines look to restrict competitors

“Foreign Airlines using Russian airspace on flights to and from the US. are gaining a significant competitive advantage over American competitors in major markets, including China and India,” the presentation, dated February, said. “This situation is directly to the benefit of foreign airlines and at the expense of the United States as a whole, with fewer connections to key markets, fewer high paying airline jobs” and a dent in the overall economy.

Now airlines are pressing the White House and Congress to fix the problem by subjecting foreign carriers from nations not already banned from Russian airspace to the same restrictions applied to American competitors, effectively forcing them to fly the same routes as their American competitors.

The Biden administration should “take action to ensure that foreign carriers overflying Russia do not depart, land or transit through U.S. airports,” said Marli Collier, an Airlines for America spokeswoman.

It looks like the sanctions are finally starting to bite, and now we're seeing desperate moves from people who have run out of options. 😁

Noah Diaz said:Lucky Americans seem to think the rest of the world exists solely to follow their orders.

For instance, now these whiners at our major domestic airlines are demanding that everyone else take the long way around, essentially begging the world to pile up losses just like they are.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/17/u...s-ukraine.html
Banned from Russian Airspace, U.S. Airlines look to restrict competitors

“Foreign Airlines using Russian airspace on flights to and from the US. are gaining a significant competitive advantage over American competitors in major markets, including China and India,” the presentation, dated February, said. “This situation is directly to the benefit of foreign airlines and at the expense of the United States as a whole, with fewer connections to key markets, fewer high paying airline jobs” and a dent in the overall economy.

Now airlines are pressing the White House and Congress to fix the problem by subjecting foreign carriers from nations not already banned from Russian airspace to the same restrictions applied to American competitors, effectively forcing them to fly the same routes as their American competitors.

The Biden administration should “take action to ensure that foreign carriers overflying Russia do not depart, land or transit through U.S. airports,” said Marli Collier, an Airlines for America spokeswoman.

It looks like the sanctions are finally starting to bite, and now we're seeing desperate moves from people who have run out of options. 😁

They’ve got the dollar, they’ve got SWIFT, and they’ve got GPS. I won't even get started on their military might.

So, why the hate?

---

They're tightening the noose around the Russians—which, honestly, I'm fine with. The US and the European Union are basically the wealthiest markets out there, right alongside Japan. Why on earth would anyone want to lose access to those markets? Plus, who else besides those two blocs is churning out planes in massive quantities and providing the navigation systems everyone relies on?

If you hate the US that much, fine—go live in Russia or somewhere in Asia. They've got democracies like India over there.
And let's be real, that's a country that's peaking even when you factor in Pakistan.

Larry Wilson25 As specified by:
If you hate the USA so much, then honestly, just go live in Russia or somewhere in Asia... I mean, there's plenty of democracy out there, like the Indian political system, if that's what you're looking for...
.

Honestly, the sheer level of trivialization here is just... staggering...

If you're struggling to make ends meet, you're struggling whether you're in the USA, India, China, or... well, anywhere else on the planet. It’s just a reality of life, really. Even though what the American poor have access to is different... n Even if they were pulling in higher revenues than anything seen in India, it wouldn't exactly revolutionize their day-to-day reality...
If you happen to be wealthy enough, honestly, it doesn't really matter where in the world you end up... everything feels pretty much the same...

Speaking of democracy, I have to say, the Indian political system isn't exactly some kind of circus...

Indian political system India's...
The American political structure is loosely modeled after the traditional framework used in many Western democracies. It features a President serving as the head of state, an executive branch led by the President, and a legislative branch comprised of a bicameral Congress—consisting of both the Senate and the House of Representatives—all overseen by a judicial system headed by the Supreme Court...

In the US, we elect 435 members to the House of Representatives through a first-past-the-post general election every four years... meanwhile, our Senators serve staggered six-year terms, which means about one-third of them are up for reelection every two years, chosen by the voters in their respective states...

The US Constitution serves as the ultimate blueprint for our nation, meticulously defining the framework of our federal system, the specific powers held by the government, and the fundamental protections guaranteed to every American... it lays down the essential principles of equality before the law and safeguards our core liberties, like freedom of speech, the right to assemble, and the freedom of movement, among so many others...

Honestly, when you look at India, the truth is just frustrating—it’s the sheer chaos of their entire political structure and how everything functions within it... And it makes you wonder if there’s really a massive difference between them and the way things work here in the US, whether we're talking about our own obsession with party loyalty or the way our supposed "democratic" progress unfolds within the parties... I can't help but feel like true knowledge, wisdom, actual ability, and raw IQ should be the priority, rising above any kind of political hierarchy or party affiliation...

On top of all that, we live in a country where the presidential candidate who actually earns the most votes through the electronic voting system isn't even guaranteed to become the president—which really makes you wonder about the state of our democracy... And as for the Senate and the House of Representatives, where it honestly feels like the seats are mostly occupied by lobbyists and the people they fund, there isn't much left to say...

And if I were to circle back to the sheer absurdity we were discussing at the very beginning...Well, if that's how you really feel about it, then I suppose you should just pack your bags and move to Russia or somewhere in Asia...It really boils down to one simple question: why are people so driven to chase their own prosperity and a better future that they’re willing to pack up and move to places defined by absolute rule and a lack of democratic values... choosing to live and build careers in somewhere like Dubai, rather than staying put in the beautiful embrace of a Western democracy like Washington, D.C.?...
An old colleague of mine recently told me, "Alright, I'm heading to Singapore (Asia, obviously)," and honestly, I think it might just be the smartest move he’s ever made in his entire life...
He’s retired now... and you know where he ended up? Living it up on the Cook Islands... I was just browsing through some travel inspiration online and stumbled upon this gorgeous site for the Cook Islands... it really makes you want to pack a bag and head straight for the tropics, doesn't it? There’s something about those turquoise waters and remote island vibes that just calls to you when life gets a bit too hectic...

P.S.
By the way, you really should check out last night's episode... A review of the past week with John Oliver on HBO... It’s just one more example of how "democracy" ends up siphoning away funds—millions upon millions... money that was actually intended for those who need it most, the truly underprivileged...

Larry Wilson25 said:They’ve got the dollar, they’ve got SWIFT, and they’ve got GPS. I won't even get started on their military might.

So, why the hate?

---

They're tightening the noose around the Russians—which, honestly, I'm fine with. The US and the European Union are basically the wealthiest markets out there, right alongside Japan. Why on earth would anyone want to lose access to those markets? Plus, who else besides those two blocs is churning out planes in massive quantities and providing the navigation systems everyone relies on?

If you hate the US that much, fine—go live in Russia or somewhere in Asia. They've got democracies like India over there.
And let's be real, that's a country that's peaking even when you factor in Pakistan.

It’s pure jealousy. He knows he picked the wrong ally, but he just can't bring himself to admit it. Some clueless fanatic.
And now he's acting all jittery, like he's got a constant itch he can't scratch.
What am I supposed to do for him? I don't feel sorry for him. These illiterate fanatics have ruined perfectly decent people in the "inner circle"—people they genuinely despise. It’s those same old complexes again; they just hate anyone who actually knows more than they do.

If you hate the US so much, fine—go live in Russia or Asia.

But he won't do that! In his head, if America and NATO collapse, he thinks he'll suddenly be the big man on campus... 🙂 As if he was ever actually in charge. He’s just spent his whole life switching masters—one day it’s the Russians, then the Turks, then the Canadians, and so on.
The entire history of these fanatics boils down to maybe 100 years of being an actual independent nation, and even that was interrupted.

Sickness doesn't discriminate; it just shows up in different ways. 🙂

brightheron64 said:

Larry Wilson25 As specified by:
If you hate the USA so much, then honestly, just go live in Russia or somewhere in Asia... I mean, there's plenty of democracy out there, like the Indian political system, if that's what you're looking for...
.

Honestly, the sheer level of trivialization here is just... staggering...

If you're struggling to make ends meet, you're struggling whether you're in the USA, India, China, or... well, anywhere else on the planet. It’s just a reality of life, really. Even though what the American poor have access to is different... n Even if they were pulling in higher revenues than anything seen in India, it wouldn't exactly revolutionize their day-to-day reality...
If you happen to be wealthy enough, honestly, it doesn't really matter where in the world you end up... everything feels pretty much the same...

Speaking of democracy, I have to say, the Indian political system isn't exactly some kind of circus...

Indian political system India's...
The American political structure is loosely modeled after the traditional framework used in many Western democracies. It features a President serving as the head of state, an executive branch led by the President, and a legislative branch comprised of a bicameral Congress—consisting of both the Senate and the House of Representatives—all overseen by a judicial system headed by the Supreme Court...

In the US, we elect 435 members to the House of Representatives through a first-past-the-post general election every four years... meanwhile, our Senators serve staggered six-year terms, which means about one-third of them are up for reelection every two years, chosen by the voters in their respective states...

The US Constitution serves as the ultimate blueprint for our nation, meticulously defining the framework of our federal system, the specific powers held by the government, and the fundamental protections guaranteed to every American... it lays down the essential principles of equality before the law and safeguards our core liberties, like freedom of speech, the right to assemble, and the freedom of movement, among so many others...

Honestly, when you look at India, the truth is just frustrating—it’s the sheer chaos of their entire political structure and how everything functions within it... And it makes you wonder if there’s really a massive difference between them and the way things work here in the US, whether we're talking about our own obsession with party loyalty or the way our supposed "democratic" progress unfolds within the parties... I can't help but feel like true knowledge, wisdom, actual ability, and raw IQ should be the priority, rising above any kind of political hierarchy or party affiliation...

On top of all that, we live in a country where the presidential candidate who actually earns the most votes through the electronic voting system isn't even guaranteed to become the president—which really makes you wonder about the state of our democracy... And as for the Senate and the House of Representatives, where it honestly feels like the seats are mostly occupied by lobbyists and the people they fund, there isn't much left to say...

And if I were to circle back to the sheer absurdity we were discussing at the very beginning...Well, if that's how you really feel about it, then I suppose you should just pack your bags and move to Russia or somewhere in Asia...It really boils down to one simple question: why are people so driven to chase their own prosperity and a better future that they’re willing to pack up and move to places defined by absolute rule and a lack of democratic values... choosing to live and build careers in somewhere like Dubai, rather than staying put in the beautiful embrace of a Western democracy like Washington, D.C.?...
An old colleague of mine recently told me, "Alright, I'm heading to Singapore (Asia, obviously)," and honestly, I think it might just be the smartest move he’s ever made in his entire life...
He’s retired now... and you know where he ended up? Living it up on the Cook Islands... I was just browsing through some travel inspiration online and stumbled upon this gorgeous site for the Cook Islands... it really makes you want to pack a bag and head straight for the tropics, doesn't it? There’s something about those turquoise waters and remote island vibes that just calls to you when life gets a bit too hectic...

P.S.
By the way, you really should check out last night's episode... A review of the past week with John Oliver on HBO... It’s just one more example of how "democracy" ends up siphoning away funds—millions upon millions... money that was actually intended for those who need it most, the truly underprivileged...

Yeah, in a democracy where you aren't afraid of anything, you can actually point out injustices to the people. Just look at the Russian equivalent to see that Russian garbage stinks just as bad.

But you don't speak Russian, you only speak English—and honestly, your "anti-Western" sentiment is just a Western phenomenon and nothing more than media consumerism. It's hard to act cool when you're just an average bourgeois like everyone else.

Larry Wilson25 said:They’ve got the dollar, they’ve got SWIFT, and they’ve got GPS. I won't even get started on their military might.

So, why the hate?

---

They're tightening the noose around the Russians—which, honestly, I'm fine with. The US and the European Union are basically the wealthiest markets out there, right alongside Japan. Why on earth would anyone want to lose access to those markets? Plus, who else besides those two blocs is churning out planes in massive quantities and providing the navigation systems everyone relies on?

If you hate the US that much, fine—go live in Russia or somewhere in Asia. They've got democracies like India over there.
And let's be real, that's a country that's peaking even when you factor in Pakistan.

Sure, they can demand whatever they want, but are China, India, or the Emirates actually going to listen? They weren't the ones slapping on sanctions in the first place.

And let's be real—they probably won't.

At this point, the West just has to eat what it's cooking; they signed up for this when they decided to pull the trigger on the sanctions.

PS: In this specific scenario, the real headache is the logistics between Japan and Europe, or China-Europe and similar routes.

In reality, the biggest hurdle here is the end user—the one who's just looking for the easiest and cheapest way to get things done.

Turkey is slowly starting to tighten its borders regarding Russia. No matter how much history there is of Turks acting as smugglers or being part of the mafia—or just their general love for making a quick buck—they are finally beginning to close those gates. Let the propagandists threaten attacks while they’re still feeling weak, then.

Turkey is rejecting the Russian S-400 and refuses to help Moscow bypass sanctions. On March 8th, Turkey halted the transport of prohibited goods to Russia. Shipments included refrigeration units, audio-video equipment, auto parts, textiles, construction materials, and various other items "from the European Union sanctions list."

Here is the thread on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/anno1540/status/...010610180?s=20

Turkey actually stopped accepting those Russian peace cards back in the day. If you listened to the Russian propagandists, though, you'd walk away thinking the Turks were the ones slapping sanctions on the USA and the European Union and basically declaring war on them.

Russian oil prices just took another dip:

Russian Ural crude oil down to 48 USD/Barrel. Throw in the discount of up to 35 USD/Barrel for China and India and you can guess the real price.

View on twitter

Now, India might not be getting a full 35 USD per barrel discount—maybe it’s more like 32 or 33 🙂—but if Putin needs to move volume, China could easily walk away with a massive 90% or even 100% discount on the price.

#sanctions_arent_working 😁

So what happens if these sanctions don't actually move the needle?

The Russian side is threatening to walk away from the "grain deal" entirely unless they get relief on sanctions targeting their agricultural exports.

https://en.topwar.ru/213230-rossijsk...sporta-rf.html