Sanctions on Russia

Natural gas prices have dropped to $25 per megawatt hour
At $270 per thousand cubic meters? Please. Some uneducated, five-dimensional chess-playing Russian redneck thinks he can actually outmaneuver the rest of Europe.

Europe is the biggest importer of crude oil and gas on the planet, which means they dictate the global flow. When the EU says "jump," everyone else is either jumping or dying trying. It’s always been this way, and honestly, it isn't changing for at least the next hundred years.

wearytrucker22 said:Natural gas prices have dropped to $25 per megawatt hour
At $270 per thousand cubic meters? Please. Some uneducated, five-dimensional chess-playing Russian redneck thinks he can actually outmaneuver the rest of Europe.

Europe is the biggest importer of crude oil and gas on the planet, which means they dictate the global flow. When the EU says "jump," everyone else is either jumping or dying trying. It’s always been this way, and honestly, it isn't changing for at least the next hundred years.

It doesn't matter to Russia what the EU is currently paying for gas. They already lost their best customer, and now their gas is just burning off in flares instead of generating actual revenue.

Nancy Gomez26 said:It doesn't matter to Russia what the EU is currently paying for gas. They already lost their best customer, and now their gas is just burning off in flares instead of generating actual revenue.

Once Europe says "enough," the oil stops flowing too—and frankly, that’s an even easier lever to pull than gas. Just let the Ukrainians drop ten naval mines at 39.00 E 43.00N and let the currents drift them straight toward the tanker anchorages in Novorossiysk. Once those hit, Russian oil exports are dead in the water.

That’s just a bad move—it would send oil prices through the roof, and honestly, let them handle the shipping themselves using rupees if they want to be so bold...

Yeah, it’s pretty much a safe bet that Nord Stream went down too...

wearytrucker22 said:Once Europe says "enough," the oil stops flowing too—and frankly, that’s an even easier lever to pull than gas. Just let the Ukrainians drop ten naval mines at 39.00 E 43.00N and let the currents drift them straight toward the tanker anchorages in Novorossiysk. Once those hit, Russian oil exports are dead in the water.

Sabotage like that serves no one's interests. If such an attempt fails, global oil prices would spike instantly, which would inevitably drag gas prices up right along with them.
Russia would inflict the most damage on the global economy if they suddenly cut off both oil and gas supplies—say, right before the winter heating season hits. If they had built a self-sustaining, robust economy, they could easily pull that stunt. But they can't. They are too dependent on exporting energy and importing other goods to afford such a luxury. The developed world keeps them on a leash, buying just enough energy to keep them on the brink, but never allowing total isolation. They leave them just enough oxygen to barely survive. Once everything stabilizes, the West finds it much more beneficial to have Russian oligarchs spending their cash in Western shipyards rather than seeing that money fund education and development in the rural parts of Russia. And from another angle—the direct consequence of this situation in Russia is a massive army of people, drawn specifically from those rural areas, who are ready to answer Moscow's call to participate in some "special military operation" and carry out "denazification."

wearytrucker22 said:Natural gas prices have dropped to $25 per megawatt hour
At $270 per thousand cubic meters? Please. Some uneducated, five-dimensional chess-playing Russian redneck thinks he can actually outmaneuver the rest of Europe.

Europe is the biggest importer of crude oil and gas on the planet, which means they dictate the global flow. When the EU says "jump," everyone else is either jumping or dying trying. It’s always been this way, and honestly, it isn't changing for at least the next hundred years.

It changes nothing. We were doomed the very moment we decided to rely on the spot market instead of sticking with those long-term Russian contracts where we would have been paying a mere $200 per unit.

Are we actually going to see gas prices drop around here anytime soon?

Anthony Hill5 said:It changes nothing. We were doomed the very moment we decided to rely on the spot market instead of sticking with those long-term Russian contracts where we would have been paying a mere $200 per unit.

The solution is simple: stop buying gas and all that other overpriced, unnecessary junk.
I couldn't care less about the price of gas, diamonds, uranium, electricity, or any of it.

wearytrucker22 said:The solution is simple: stop buying gas and all that other overpriced, unnecessary junk.
I couldn't care less about the price of gas, diamonds, uranium, electricity, or any of it.

Natural gas prices have a direct impact on urea costs, and urea costs dictate grain prices—which eventually land on the grocery store shelves as food prices. Everything is interconnected, woven together in a complex web; this is merely one illustration of how these dependencies function.
When grain supply outpaces demand, buyback prices drop—everyone is just calculating the cost of capital and storage until next season when shortages might hit. However, when supply falls short of demand, prices climb much faster and much higher.

A container of cherries is $2 at Walmart, but at Kroger, they’re charging $4.

Someone definitely miscalculated the math there.

I actually picked up two containers at Walmart over the last three days, and honestly, it made me want to just go climb a nearby cherry tree! Why should the birds be the only ones enjoying them?

Someone made a great point yesterday: the goal isn't to cause market tremors so massive that everything goes to hell. The real aim is to choke out Russia. It won't happen overnight, but a year from now, Putin will be choosing between fruit yogurts or pomegranates. Two years down the line? It'll be bread and yogurt or pomegranates. A war can't sustain itself forever because people can eventually decide they don't need those fancy fruit yogurts. But folks rarely give up their basic food supplies voluntarily. Like these cherries.

#sanctions_arent_working😁

Russia actually has a pretty solid ally in the Saudis right now, mostly because those massive, crazy mega-projects they're running mean they desperately need oil prices to stay high. But here's the kicker for everyone involved: OPEC's discipline is starting to slip, which has forced the Saudis into a corner where, for the first time in 40 years, they've had to step up and slash their own production just to try and keep prices from tanking.
https://twitter.com/RobinBrooksIIF/s...62941001908225

Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil output after OPEC Members Clash Over Quotas

The decision to stick to The Group ’ came after OPEC members huddled together for Hours in Vienna to hash out a deal in what turned out to be a fiery exchange, delegates said. Saudi Arabia was pushing some members to cut output but faced stiff resistance, especially from some African producers, they added

Production plans are usually agreed upon in advance between OPEC members Who quickly rubber-stamp their approval during The official meetings. This time, though, things got heated, and the tension over production quotas was through the roof. To finally break the deadlock, members eventually agreed to stick to their output targets alongside their Russia-led allies. Delegates noted that it was actually the Saudi decision to voluntarily cut output that helped push the whole deal across the finish line.

“I would have to call it the Saudi lollipop,” Saud Oil Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Said during a News conference aired Live after The OPEC + meeting, referring to the 1-million-barrel cut for July. “It is really a great day for us because the quality of the agreement is unprecedented and I would have to say the quality of cooperation is unprecedented.”

OPEC delegates mentioned that the cartel’s major production calls are increasingly being driven by the Saudi oil minister, often without even bothering to consult the rest of the group.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-a...d=hp_lead_pos1

Germany is making a serious play for one of the biggest markets for Russian weaponry

Pistorius: Russian arms for India not in German interests

It's not in Germany's interest for India to remain dependent on Russian weapons , German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius Said on Monday during a tour of The region to shore up defense partnerships.

India Has Long relied on Russia for its defense needs and Has also become a major buyer of discounted Russian crude oil since The full-scale invasion of Ukraine Began in early 2022. https://www.dw.com/en/pistorius-russ

https://www.dw.com/en/pistorius-russ...sts/a-65827617

Germany may build subs in India as Russian weapons supply slows

India as Russian weapons supply slows Germany and India are closing in on a deal to build Diesel submarines in The South Asian country as Russia ’s prolonged War in Ukraine pushes New Delhi to expand its sources of military hardware Beyond its top supplier Moscow

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com.../100791109.cms

Venezuela has inked several major deals with massive European energy conglomerates.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...cial#xj4y7vzkg

Russia has started shipping oil to North Korea again. Between now and April, they’ve sent over 67,300 barrels of refined oil north. These are the first major shipments since Moscow reported selling just a measly 255 barrels back in August 2020.

It’s almost laughable—you have to wonder how desperate the Russian oil industry has become if North Korea actually has to step in and bail them out with a few thousand barrels a year.😁🙏

Historically elevated oil prices:

WTI $68.29
Brent $73.22

Just as experts have predicted, the collapse of Western stability will drive oil prices soaring past $250 per barrel!

The Standard, NYC

USA: Russian oil revenues are tanking

According to U.S. government data, Russia's oil trade income has plummeted by nearly half during the first five months of this year. Speaking Thursday at an event hosted by the Center for a New American Security in Washington, D.C., Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemi noted that while Russia is actually exporting more crude oil than when they first kicked off their aggressive war against Ukraine, the money isn't following.

Even with higher export volumes, Russia is bringing in way less cash because they’re forced to sell their oil at a 25 percent discount compared to everyone else, Adeyemi explained, pointing to the impact of the price caps on Russian oil.

Back in early December, Western nations slapped a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian crude due to the conflict in Ukraine. On top of that, new price limits have recently been applied to Russian oil products too.

Adeyemi also mentioned that the sanctions and export controls hitting Moscow are making it a huge headache for them to find replacements for all the equipment they've lost on the battlefield.

Well, you really can't make this stuff up—here’s the absolute best and latest from Russia in action. This supposedly "sanction-proof" and totally self-sufficient new Ford wouldn't even turn over. It happened right during the official unveiling, standing there in front of a massive swarm of reporters at that famous economic forum ☕
https://twitter.com/officejjsmart/st...95937781538818

Carl Lee27 said:Well, you really can't make this stuff up—here’s the absolute best and latest from Russia in action. This supposedly "sanction-proof" and totally self-sufficient new Ford wouldn't even turn over. It happened right during the official unveiling, standing there in front of a massive swarm of reporters at that famous economic forum ☕
https://twitter.com/officejjsmart/st...95937781538818

Is this not the ultimate proof that sanctions only serve to strengthen Russia?

Anthony Hill5 said:Is this not the ultimate proof that sanctions only serve to strengthen Russia?

Look, I don't want to be the guy who kills your hope about Russia collapsing or whatever. But honestly? Ford has always struggled with reliability issues—take this, for example, back about nine years ago when they were trying to push certain models too.