Sanctions on Russia

The USA, UK, Japan, France, and Canada are all setting their sights on Russia's civilian nuclear sector
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/04/17/7398179/

Meanwhile, over in Germany, they're really pushing to make sure this gets included in the next big round of EU sanctions
https://www.reuters.com/business/ene...%20on%20Monday

At a recent summit in Japan, the foreign ministers from the G7 nations—including the USA, Japan, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada—basically representing the world's seven most powerful economies, promised that any countries aiding Russia in its war against Ukraine will "pay dearly." They specifically signaled that those providing direct military support, which clearly points toward China, will face consequences.

The G7 maintains its firm support for Ukraine, demanding an unconditional withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory.

Expect sanctions against Russia to intensify, alongside a doubling down on efforts to block any attempts to bypass them.

The Japanese minister also touched on China's maneuvers surrounding Taiwan, expressed concern over China's nuclear expansion, and noted how closely the stability of Europe and the Indo-Pacific are linked—warning that the crisis in Ukraine could eventually spill over into the Far East.

China was quick to push back, calling these statements arrogant and a blatant "attempt to destroy China."

https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/l...20pays%20tiers.

https://twitter.com/bneintellinews/s...80632601063424

So, I was just reading this and apparently we’re looking at over $3 billion worth of grain potentially going to waste because of all these distribution headaches, leaving warehouses totally packed while everything just sits there rotting.

The Ruble is still looking pretty strong, honestly—Sanctions not working!! ☕

Just a few days after resuming sales, it looks like the French have had second thoughts and are halting shipments to Russia again.

Source: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a...n-til-ryssland

Thomas Walker84 As stated by:
The G7 remains absolutely steadfast in its support for Ukraine, insisting that there be an unconditional withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory...

And now they’re all weeping over this conclusion, acting like the world is ending, as if they won't be the first ones raising their hands in victory by tomorrow morning...

Thomas Walker84 As the user said...
The sanctions against Russia are only going to tighten their grip, and I expect we'll see a massive surge in oversight to crack down on any attempts at bypassing them...

When I look at the sanctions being leveled against everyone from North Korea to Iran and even Russia, I can't help but get this nagging feeling that they’re actually backfiring... It seems like they're just forcing these nations to huddle closer together, pushing them into this desperate survival mode where they'll invent just about anything to stay afloat. They start acting like frantic traveling merchants, trying to offload every scrap of raw material they have just to make a sale, while simultaneously doubling down on a drive for total self-sufficiency—which, if you think about it, ends up being the exact opposite of what the people imposing the sanctions actually intended...

Just to give you some perspective, North Korea—which, let’s be honest, was only kept from complete collapse by China—is now out there waving ballistic nuclear missiles around like they own the place... 😲 I might be totally off base here, but I can't help but think that if we hadn't gone down this path of constant sanctions from the start, North Korea probably wouldn't have evolved into such a massive nuclear threat...
It’s a similar situation with Iran, though unlike North Korea, they still have the ability to move oil under the radar if they play their cards right. You only have to look at how they've pivoted toward massive agricultural expansion after facing those rounds of chess moves and sanctions—they've actually managed to double their output. I can't help but wonder if they'll eventually make a truly smart, constructive move in that direction... because at the end of the day, humanity is going to need food far more than it will ever need oil...

So, let me give you a sense of how things actually look on the ground here in a highly developed Western nation like the US...Davor Romić: It’s honestly a bit disheartening to see that not a single one of those 34 irrigation projects is actually being utilized to its full potential..."

brightheron64 said:

Thomas Walker84 As stated by:
The G7 remains absolutely steadfast in its support for Ukraine, insisting that there be an unconditional withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory...

And now they’re all weeping over this conclusion, acting like the world is ending, as if they won't be the first ones raising their hands in victory by tomorrow morning...

Thomas Walker84 As the user said...
The sanctions against Russia are only going to tighten their grip, and I expect we'll see a massive surge in oversight to crack down on any attempts at bypassing them...

When I look at the sanctions being leveled against everyone from North Korea to Iran and even Russia, I can't help but get this nagging feeling that they’re actually backfiring... It seems like they're just forcing these nations to huddle closer together, pushing them into this desperate survival mode where they'll invent just about anything to stay afloat. They start acting like frantic traveling merchants, trying to offload every scrap of raw material they have just to make a sale, while simultaneously doubling down on a drive for total self-sufficiency—which, if you think about it, ends up being the exact opposite of what the people imposing the sanctions actually intended...

Just to give you some perspective, North Korea—which, let’s be honest, was only kept from complete collapse by China—is now out there waving ballistic nuclear missiles around like they own the place... 😲 I might be totally off base here, but I can't help but think that if we hadn't gone down this path of constant sanctions from the start, North Korea probably wouldn't have evolved into such a massive nuclear threat...
It’s a similar situation with Iran, though unlike North Korea, they still have the ability to move oil under the radar if they play their cards right. You only have to look at how they've pivoted toward massive agricultural expansion after facing those rounds of chess moves and sanctions—they've actually managed to double their output. I can't help but wonder if they'll eventually make a truly smart, constructive move in that direction... because at the end of the day, humanity is going to need food far more than it will ever need oil...

So, let me give you a sense of how things actually look on the ground here in a highly developed Western nation like the US...Davor Romić: It’s honestly a bit disheartening to see that not a single one of those 34 irrigation projects is actually being utilized to its full potential..."

Russia isn't heading straight for North Korea's path, but they aren't exactly far off either.
Pretty soon we'll be seeing war bonds, planned economies, and everything else that follows that whole "self-sufficiency" drill. 😍

Here's an interesting deep dive into how realistic this self-sufficiency really is, along with a look at Russia's war economy and mid-term outlook.

Can Vladimir Putin beef up his military even further in 2023?

brightheron64 said:

Thomas Walker84 As stated by:
The G7 remains absolutely steadfast in its support for Ukraine, insisting that there be an unconditional withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory...

And now they’re all weeping over this conclusion, acting like the world is ending, as if they won't be the first ones raising their hands in victory by tomorrow morning...

Thomas Walker84 As the user said...
The sanctions against Russia are only going to tighten their grip, and I expect we'll see a massive surge in oversight to crack down on any attempts at bypassing them...

When I look at the sanctions being leveled against everyone from North Korea to Iran and even Russia, I can't help but get this nagging feeling that they’re actually backfiring... It seems like they're just forcing these nations to huddle closer together, pushing them into this desperate survival mode where they'll invent just about anything to stay afloat. They start acting like frantic traveling merchants, trying to offload every scrap of raw material they have just to make a sale, while simultaneously doubling down on a drive for total self-sufficiency—which, if you think about it, ends up being the exact opposite of what the people imposing the sanctions actually intended...

Just to give you some perspective, North Korea—which, let’s be honest, was only kept from complete collapse by China—is now out there waving ballistic nuclear missiles around like they own the place... 😲 I might be totally off base here, but I can't help but think that if we hadn't gone down this path of constant sanctions from the start, North Korea probably wouldn't have evolved into such a massive nuclear threat...
It’s a similar situation with Iran, though unlike North Korea, they still have the ability to move oil under the radar if they play their cards right. You only have to look at how they've pivoted toward massive agricultural expansion after facing those rounds of chess moves and sanctions—they've actually managed to double their output. I can't help but wonder if they'll eventually make a truly smart, constructive move in that direction... because at the end of the day, humanity is going to need food far more than it will ever need oil...

So, let me give you a sense of how things actually look on the ground here in a highly developed Western nation like the US...Davor Romić: It’s honestly a bit disheartening to see that not a single one of those 34 irrigation projects is actually being utilized to its full potential..."

Sanctions should ideally make war production harder, not tank the standard of living for everyday people (like what happened during the breakup of America, which really just unified the populace against the outside pressure). It's naive to think that squeezing the public will somehow trigger a revolt against their own government.

Slowly but surely, those sanctions are starting to gnaw at Russia. The Russians can cheer for Putin until they're blue in the face, but once the wallets run dry and the refrigerators go empty, things are going to get interesting.

So, I was just reading about how the G7 countries are actually thinking about pivoting toward a near-total ban on exports to Russia. Right now, the way things work is that you can export pretty much anything as long as it isn't specifically listed as a sanctioned good or service, but they want to flip that whole logic on its head! Basically, they'd move to a system where almost everything is blocked, leaving only a tiny handful of exceptions—you know, the essentials like food or medicine. And get this, the whole goal is to bring all the European Union member states into the fold for this massive crackdown.

Some of Ukraine's key allies including the US are considering moving closer to an outright ban on most exports to Russia, a potentially significant tightening of economic pressure on President Vladimir Putin over his war.

Group of Seven officials are discussing the idea ahead of a leaders summit in Japan in May, according to people familiar with the matter, and the aim would be to include European Union member states in the crackdown. The proposal is still being debated and could change, the people said.

The approach being discussed by diplomatic envoys would flip the existing sanctions regime around, with all exports banned unless exempted, the people said. Under the current criteria all exports are allowed unless sanctioned.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ify%20wall

John Ramos45 said:Slowly but surely, those sanctions are starting to gnaw at Russia. The Russians can cheer for Putin until they're blue in the face, but once the wallets run dry and the refrigerators go empty, things are going to get interesting.

And honestly, through the UK and the EU, we might see prices skyrocket soon too, while wages just stay stuck where they are.

brightheron64 said:

Thomas Walker84 As stated by:
The G7 remains absolutely steadfast in its support for Ukraine, insisting that there be an unconditional withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory...

And now they’re all weeping over this conclusion, acting like the world is ending, as if they won't be the first ones raising their hands in victory by tomorrow morning...

Thomas Walker84 As the user said...
The sanctions against Russia are only going to tighten their grip, and I expect we'll see a massive surge in oversight to crack down on any attempts at bypassing them...

When I look at the sanctions being leveled against everyone from North Korea to Iran and even Russia, I can't help but get this nagging feeling that they’re actually backfiring... It seems like they're just forcing these nations to huddle closer together, pushing them into this desperate survival mode where they'll invent just about anything to stay afloat. They start acting like frantic traveling merchants, trying to offload every scrap of raw material they have just to make a sale, while simultaneously doubling down on a drive for total self-sufficiency—which, if you think about it, ends up being the exact opposite of what the people imposing the sanctions actually intended...

Just to give you some perspective, North Korea—which, let’s be honest, was only kept from complete collapse by China—is now out there waving ballistic nuclear missiles around like they own the place... 😲 I might be totally off base here, but I can't help but think that if we hadn't gone down this path of constant sanctions from the start, North Korea probably wouldn't have evolved into such a massive nuclear threat...
It’s a similar situation with Iran, though unlike North Korea, they still have the ability to move oil under the radar if they play their cards right. You only have to look at how they've pivoted toward massive agricultural expansion after facing those rounds of chess moves and sanctions—they've actually managed to double their output. I can't help but wonder if they'll eventually make a truly smart, constructive move in that direction... because at the end of the day, humanity is going to need food far more than it will ever need oil...

So, let me give you a sense of how things actually look on the ground here in a highly developed Western nation like the US...Davor Romić: It’s honestly a bit disheartening to see that not a single one of those 34 irrigation projects is actually being utilized to its full potential..."

What kind of self-sufficiency are we even talking about here? Do you honestly believe the Russians are suddenly going to start manufacturing Mercedes-Benz cars and BMWs, or Intel processors and Nvidia graphics cards, or Samsung mobile phones and televisions? What exactly is your definition of self-sufficiency? Is it living on the brink of starvation, much like in North Korea?

Take North Korea, for instance—a nation that the Chinese saved from total collapse—which now spends its time waving ballistic nuclear missiles around. 😲 Perhaps I am mistaken, but if we assume that sanctions had never existed, would South Korea not have become such a nuclear threat?

You aren't just perhaps mistaken; you are almost certainly wrong. Under the continuous rule of the Kims, the North Korean regime viewed nuclear weapons as the sole guarantee of their survival. In other words, sanctions didn't drive Kim to develop nuclear weapons; rather, the sanctions were a direct response to Kim's policy of regime survival.

It is similar with Iran, although, unlike South Korea, they can still limp along thanks to their oil. Take irrigation, for example; following the embargoes and sanctions, they actually doubled their agricultural irrigation. Will they produce something intelligent or useful? After all, humanity needs food far more than it needs oil.

In any case, regarding Iranian water, I read reports about how they are facing severe shortages and pollution, but if we are to take your word for it, they clearly don't lack anything.

For decades, the Iranian government has failed to address the country’s water shortages, causing social unrest that will only intensify if the problems continue

Just look at how things stand in an advanced Western nation like the United States: "Davor Romić: None of the 34 irrigation projects are being used to their full capacity."

If only we had a leader like Putin—pardon me, I mean the Ayatollah.

Russians find themselves unable to collect payment for their arms sales to India because India cannot settle the bill in US dollars without triggering sanctions, yet the Russians refuse to accept rupees.

According to officials, India is paralyzed by the fear of secondary sanctions, making a dollar-based transaction impossible, while Russia remains steadfast in its refusal to take rupees due to exchange rate volatility. Furthermore, New Delhi is hesitant to finalize any deals using Russian rubles, fearing they won't be able to convert them on the open market at a fair rate.

In an attempt to solve this deadlock, the Indian government suggested that Moscow use the accumulated rupees from these weapons sales to invest back into Indian debt and equity markets to prevent a massive surplus of the currency, but Vladimir Putin's administration has shown zero interest in such an arrangement.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/ru...062410212.html

#sanctionsfail #bricsdominance

Anthony Hill5 said:What kind of self-sufficiency are we even talking about here? Do you honestly believe the Russians are suddenly going to start manufacturing Mercedes-Benz cars and BMWs, or Intel processors and Nvidia graphics cards, or Samsung mobile phones and televisions? What exactly is your definition of self-sufficiency? Is it living on the brink of starvation, much like in North Korea?

Take North Korea, for instance—a nation that the Chinese saved from total collapse—which now spends its time waving ballistic nuclear missiles around. 😲 Perhaps I am mistaken, but if we assume that sanctions had never existed, would South Korea not have become such a nuclear threat?

You aren't just perhaps mistaken; you are almost certainly wrong. Under the continuous rule of the Kims, the North Korean regime viewed nuclear weapons as the sole guarantee of their survival. In other words, sanctions didn't drive Kim to develop nuclear weapons; rather, the sanctions were a direct response to Kim's policy of regime survival.

It is similar with Iran, although, unlike South Korea, they can still limp along thanks to their oil. Take irrigation, for example; following the embargoes and sanctions, they actually doubled their agricultural irrigation. Will they produce something intelligent or useful? After all, humanity needs food far more than it needs oil.

In any case, regarding Iranian water, I read reports about how they are facing severe shortages and pollution, but if we are to take your word for it, they clearly don't lack anything.

For decades, the Iranian government has failed to address the country’s water shortages, causing social unrest that will only intensify if the problems continue

Just look at how things stand in an advanced Western nation like the United States: "Davor Romić: None of the 34 irrigation projects are being used to their full capacity."

If only we had a leader like Putin—pardon me, I mean the Ayatollah.

You've gone a bit off the deep end there. To create a demand for things like BMWs or Intel chips, you first need a massive population base. And to sustain that population, you need a solid agricultural foundation—which, let's face it, isn't possible today without modern machinery. Unlike North Korea, Russia can actually produce its own machinery using its own natural resources, expertise, and labor force. At least in that regard, they don't need to import a thing.

They can handle automobile production on their own, too.

Electronics is where the real headache starts—they lack both the technical know-how and the fabrication plants. Sanctions would hit hard there, but only if everyone actually stuck to them (and by "everyone," I mainly mean China).

You aren't just mistaken; you're flat-out wrong. Under successive Kim regimes, the North Korean leadership viewed nuclear weapons as their only real guarantee of survival. It wasn't sanctions that drove Kim to build nukes; rather, the sanctions were a reaction to Kim's policy of regime preservation.

There's room for debate here. Back during the Clinton administration, North Korea actually agreed to dismantle its atomic program. In exchange, they were supposed to receive two nuclear reactors for power generation, a heap of refined fuel for thermal plants, and normalized relations. Instead, under Bush, they were slapped with the "axis of evil" label. So, they just kept going with the atomic program.

Anthony Hill5 said:What kind of self-sufficiency are we even talking about here? Do you honestly believe the Russians are suddenly going to start manufacturing Mercedes-Benz cars and BMWs, or Intel processors and Nvidia graphics cards, or Samsung mobile phones and televisions? What exactly is your definition of self-sufficiency? Is it living on the brink of starvation, much like in North Korea?

Take North Korea, for instance—a nation that the Chinese saved from total collapse—which now spends its time waving ballistic nuclear missiles around. 😲 Perhaps I am mistaken, but if we assume that sanctions had never existed, would South Korea not have become such a nuclear threat?

You aren't just perhaps mistaken; you are almost certainly wrong. Under the continuous rule of the Kims, the North Korean regime viewed nuclear weapons as the sole guarantee of their survival. In other words, sanctions didn't drive Kim to develop nuclear weapons; rather, the sanctions were a direct response to Kim's policy of regime survival.

It is similar with Iran, although, unlike South Korea, they can still limp along thanks to their oil. Take irrigation, for example; following the embargoes and sanctions, they actually doubled their agricultural irrigation. Will they produce something intelligent or useful? After all, humanity needs food far more than it needs oil.

In any case, regarding Iranian water, I read reports about how they are facing severe shortages and pollution, but if we are to take your word for it, they clearly don't lack anything.

For decades, the Iranian government has failed to address the country’s water shortages, causing social unrest that will only intensify if the problems continue

Just look at how things stand in an advanced Western nation like the United States: "Davor Romić: None of the 34 irrigation projects are being used to their full capacity."

If only we had a leader like Putin—pardon me, I mean the Ayatollah.

Really?

The United States imposed sanctions in the 1950s and ramped them up significantly following various international bombings targeting South Korea by North Korean agents throughout the 1980s,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sancti...st_North_Korea

George Lewis9 said:You've gone a bit off the deep end there. To create a demand for things like BMWs or Intel chips, you first need a massive population base. And to sustain that population, you need a solid agricultural foundation—which, let's face it, isn't possible today without modern machinery. Unlike North Korea, Russia can actually produce its own machinery using its own natural resources, expertise, and labor force. At least in that regard, they don't need to import a thing.

They can handle automobile production on their own, too.

Electronics is where the real headache starts—they lack both the technical know-how and the fabrication plants. Sanctions would hit hard there, but only if everyone actually stuck to them (and by "everyone," I mainly mean China).

You aren't just mistaken; you're flat-out wrong. Under successive Kim regimes, the North Korean leadership viewed nuclear weapons as their only real guarantee of survival. It wasn't sanctions that drove Kim to build nukes; rather, the sanctions were a reaction to Kim's policy of regime preservation.

There's room for debate here. Back during the Clinton administration, North Korea actually agreed to dismantle its atomic program. In exchange, they were supposed to receive two nuclear reactors for power generation, a heap of refined fuel for thermal plants, and normalized relations. Instead, under Bush, they were slapped with the "axis of evil" label. So, they just kept going with the atomic program.

Look, anyone can aim for self-sufficiency, but there's a massive difference between being self-sufficient on a European scale versus being isolated like South Korea. Which way do you think Russia is leaning...?

jadecyclist7 said:

Look, anyone can aim for self-sufficiency, but there's a massive difference between being self-sufficient on a European scale versus being isolated like South Korea. Which way do you think Russia is leaning...?

Look, anyone can aim for self-sufficiency, but there's a massive difference between being self-sufficient on a European scale versus being isolated like South Korea. Which way do you think Russia is leaning...?

Look, anyone can aim for self-sufficiency, but there's a massive difference between being self-sufficient on a European scale versus being isolated like South Korea. Which way do you think Russia is leaning...?
What's missing from the Russian version of Juche?
Kim Il Sung's Juche makes it crystal clear: a nation only achieves true self-sufficiency when it is 100% economically, militarily, and politically independent. North Korea actually pulled off that level of isolationist autonomy.
At least they aren't starving. For them, that’s plenty. 😉

Hey, they even managed to dominate the world stage in soccer back in 2014. They absolutely crushed the competition!!!

jadecyclist7 said:

Look, anyone can aim for self-sufficiency, but there's a massive difference between being self-sufficient on a European scale versus being isolated like South Korea. Which way do you think Russia is leaning...?

Look, anyone can aim for self-sufficiency, but there's a massive difference between being self-sufficient on a European scale versus being isolated like South Korea. Which way do you think Russia is leaning...?

Look, anyone can aim for self-sufficiency, but there's a massive difference between being self-sufficient on a European scale versus being isolated like South Korea. Which way do you think Russia is leaning...?
That’s all fair. Still, I’m sticking to my guns: a total embargo on Russian imports and a surgical ban on dual-use tech will hurt them way more than banning Ford cars or Ikea furniture. That stuff is just optics—you don't win wars with symbolism.

John Ramos45 said:Slowly but surely, those sanctions are starting to gnaw at Russia. The Russians can cheer for Putin until they're blue in the face, but once the wallets run dry and the refrigerators go empty, things are going to get interesting.

Are you seriously talking about the largest nation on the planet with inexhaustible resources? A massive exporter of food, energy, and raw materials? This is a country that put a man in space sixty years ago. They moved their entire industrial base behind the Rockies to escape the Nazis, churning out tanks and gear that didn't stop until they hit Washington, D.C.!?
Now you’re going to claim they lack technical expertise? Have you ever actually been to Russia, or do you even know anyone there? It’s not like they don't produce anything—they make phones and TVs just like any small-time operation in a garage today.
Any specialized knowledge they need, they can easily buy using nickel, palladium, lithium, and other commodities in this interconnected world.
As for the disgruntled citizens desperate for Western brands, they'll get what they want through the black market.

Believe me, the greater the instability in Russia, the tighter the dictatorship becomes. It will likely be even worse after Putin, because a democracy would simply sell off its resources to the West for trinkets, whereas Russians are a people defined by a strong spirit, deep history, tradition, and culture.

Melissa Peterson19 said:Are you seriously talking about the largest nation on the planet with inexhaustible resources? A massive exporter of food, energy, and raw materials? This is a country that put a man in space sixty years ago. They moved their entire industrial base behind the Rockies to escape the Nazis, churning out tanks and gear that didn't stop until they hit Washington, D.C.!?
Now you’re going to claim they lack technical expertise? Have you ever actually been to Russia, or do you even know anyone there? It’s not like they don't produce anything—they make phones and TVs just like any small-time operation in a garage today.
Any specialized knowledge they need, they can easily buy using nickel, palladium, lithium, and other commodities in this interconnected world.
As for the disgruntled citizens desperate for Western brands, they'll get what they want through the black market.

Believe me, the greater the instability in Russia, the tighter the dictatorship becomes. It will likely be even worse after Putin, because a democracy would simply sell off its resources to the West for trinkets, whereas Russians are a people defined by a strong spirit, deep history, tradition, and culture.

Of course, they can manufacture anything, but the real question is the quality and the level of technological sophistication. Furthermore, when you glorify the Russian military from the 1940s, don't sweep the fact under the rug that five million people died from famine just ten years prior. Also, it was quite easy to reach Washington, D.C., when someone had already leveled all of Germany to the ground beforehand, wasn't it?
Granted, sanctions won't destroy the Russian people, but they certainly will impoverish them.
Regarding the dictatorship: frankly, who cares if they live under a dictatorship? They have been ruled by autocrats since time immemorial, and the most peaceful periods were when a wall separated them from the civilized world.
What are they going to do once that wall comes down? Who gives a shit?

Melissa Peterson19 said:Are you seriously talking about the largest nation on the planet with inexhaustible resources? A massive exporter of food, energy, and raw materials? This is a country that put a man in space sixty years ago. They moved their entire industrial base behind the Rockies to escape the Nazis, churning out tanks and gear that didn't stop until they hit Washington, D.C.!?
Now you’re going to claim they lack technical expertise? Have you ever actually been to Russia, or do you even know anyone there? It’s not like they don't produce anything—they make phones and TVs just like any small-time operation in a garage today.
Any specialized knowledge they need, they can easily buy using nickel, palladium, lithium, and other commodities in this interconnected world.
As for the disgruntled citizens desperate for Western brands, they'll get what they want through the black market.

Believe me, the greater the instability in Russia, the tighter the dictatorship becomes. It will likely be even worse after Putin, because a democracy would simply sell off its resources to the West for trinkets, whereas Russians are a people defined by a strong spirit, deep history, tradition, and culture.

Look, nobody has truly inexhaustible resources, not even Russia.
The fact that their whole economy seems to rely on exporting raw materials and energy pretty much tells you everything you need to know about their economic state.
Saying they don't produce anything? Okay, sure, maybe they can make a 5-axis CNC mill. How about a 6-axis robotic arm? Fine, fine, maybe they can even write the CAM software that runs the thing?
The whole obsession with dictatorships and "strongman" rule just shows how far behind they really are technologically. Since you've apparently traveled through Russia, I’d suggest you head out of the Ring and try visiting Orenburg or somewhere even further east—then come back and tell us all about that "culture and tradition."