Sanctions on Russia

George Robinson43 said:They aren't even leaders when it comes to accumulated emissions per capita. In Europe, they trail far behind the United Kingdom, and they fall well behind major powers like France and Italy.
The core issue remains: out of all those major players, they were the only ones who chose to let someone in The Kremlin hold their energy security hostage.
While their neighbors to the west, north, and east were busy diversifying their supply chains and investing heavily in alternative energy, they decided to bet everything on a single deck of cards.
I truly wish them luck heading into the fall of 2022, once they're told they have to lift sanctions or face the consequences...

Look, all I said was that globally, their cumulative carbon footprint per capita is well above average. I didn't say they were first, second, or whatever—when I talk about "those with the highest accumulation," I'm talking about a group, not just them specifically. And I was saying all this in the context of our forum debate about why they're ditching coal. My point was that they're donating hundreds of billions in EU funds to certain Europeans who are still basically running on coal.

They're moving away from coal and pivoting to renewables because they’re being responsible. That’s the reason. It's the same logic behind giving EU funds to some others. It's the same logic behind imposing sanctions on others and risking the fallout for themselves.

"There is simply no such thing as isolating Russia; trying to pull that off in today's interconnected world is technologically impossible," stated Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov during an interview with the state-run broadcaster Rosi 1, according to reports circulating through Russian news agencies.

Well, look at that—it seems the influence is already starting to take hold even sooner than I had anticipated.👍

lp

Bryan Booth82 said:"There is simply no such thing as isolating Russia; trying to pull that off in today's interconnected world is technologically impossible," stated Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov during an interview with the state-run broadcaster Rosi 1, according to reports circulating through Russian news agencies.

Well, look at that—it seems the influence is already starting to take hold even sooner than I had anticipated.👍

lp

link:

Look, decarbonization is fine in theory—the real question is how much we can actually pull off and how fast we can pivot to renewables without breaking everything.
Have you guys seen those massive smog clouds hanging over cities in China? It’s getting wild—wealthy parents are basically taking their kids to shopping malls equipped with special air filtration systems just so they can catch a breath of clean air.
It’s not all about chasing margins and endless production cycles for stuff nobody even needs.

So, we’re just going to pay for gas in rubles now... or is that actually happening? 🕺
I'd love to see Putin's face right about now, especially since even the dimmest bulb in the White House has finally realized that Russia was the one that crossed the red lines—and those European ones are notoriously hard to step over.

rowdytiger13 said:So, we’re just going to pay for gas in rubles now... or is that actually happening? 🕺
I'd love to see Putin's face right about now, especially since even the dimmest bulb in the White House has finally realized that Russia was the one that crossed the red lines—and those European ones are notoriously hard to step over.

Russia is your classic bully: all bark and no bite.

They only respect strength, so we better show them some.

According to Reuters, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre stated that gas buyers will continue to settle their bills in euros just like they have been doing.
Jean-Pierre went on to claim that "America has no intention of making life difficult for its customers, especially since we pride ourselves on being a reliable supplier"
.

electricstag9 said:According to Reuters, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre stated that gas buyers will continue to settle their bills in euros just like they have been doing.
Jean-Pierre went on to claim that "America has no intention of making life difficult for its customers, especially since we pride ourselves on being a reliable supplier"
.

The real issue facing Karine Jean-Pierre and her team isn't about reliability—it's that they simply can't pivot quickly enough to find new customers when old ones vanish. It's like a retailer who loses their biggest client and realizes they don't have a backup plan ready to go.
Just as the European Union is currently scrambling to find alternatives, Russia will face the exact same struggle. They’ll have to build out an entire infrastructure from scratch—relying on partners like China, India, and Southeast Asia—to try and replicate the massive systems Europe already has in place.
It seems to me that we are looking at the eventual end of the natural gas era. It’s bound to happen because there simply aren't any vast, open plains stretching toward the east or south of Asia to sustain such long-term demand.
The real knockout blow for Russia will come when they find themselves unable to offload those 150-160 billion cubic meters of gas they used to supply to Europe every single year. It’s like having a massive surplus of inventory with nowhere left to ship it!

The pressure mounting on the German government to immediately halt all imports of gas, oil, and coal—following those horrific war crimes committed by the Russian military—is becoming impossible to ignore.

It’s even being whispered that calls for an immediate shutdown are coming from within their own administration, specifically from the Secretary of Defense.🤔
I can't help but feel that if they finally decide to cut ties with Russia, they could actually pull it off and lead the entire European Union to follow suit. Is it really too much to ask?

Best,

I mean, I guess you could say the Green parties just turned into nothing more than green-painted camouflage

rowdytiger13 said:So, we’re just going to pay for gas in rubles now... or is that actually happening? 🕺
I'd love to see Putin's face right about now, especially since even the dimmest bulb in the White House has finally realized that Russia was the one that crossed the red lines—and those European ones are notoriously hard to step over.

Honestly, it scares me even to think about the moment the Russians realize just how badly they messed up...

George Robinson43 said:The real issue facing Karine Jean-Pierre and her team isn't about reliability—it's that they simply can't pivot quickly enough to find new customers when old ones vanish. It's like a retailer who loses their biggest client and realizes they don't have a backup plan ready to go.
Just as the European Union is currently scrambling to find alternatives, Russia will face the exact same struggle. They’ll have to build out an entire infrastructure from scratch—relying on partners like China, India, and Southeast Asia—to try and replicate the massive systems Europe already has in place.
It seems to me that we are looking at the eventual end of the natural gas era. It’s bound to happen because there simply aren't any vast, open plains stretching toward the east or south of Asia to sustain such long-term demand.
The real knockout blow for Russia will come when they find themselves unable to offload those 150-160 billion cubic meters of gas they used to supply to Europe every single year. It’s like having a massive surplus of inventory with nowhere left to ship it!

The big question is whether they can even find replacements at all. The USA, Canada, China, Japan, and North Korea basically represent 90% of global economic output and manufacturing. That accounts for roughly 75-80% of total oil and gas consumption. If you take China out of that equation, you're still looking at a 50-60% market share that has decided to boycott them, either right now or in the near future.

Bryan Booth82 said:The pressure mounting on the German government to immediately halt all imports of gas, oil, and coal—following those horrific war crimes committed by the Russian military—is becoming impossible to ignore.

It’s even being whispered that calls for an immediate shutdown are coming from within their own administration, specifically from the Secretary of Defense.🤔
I can't help but feel that if they finally decide to cut ties with Russia, they could actually pull it off and lead the entire European Union to follow suit. Is it really too much to ask?

Best,

Personally, I’m against it. This whole situation is already going to trigger some level of global financial crisis and leave a lot of people hungry—mostly because of the war itself, not the sanctions—especially in developing nations.

A total boycott right now would probably trigger the worst global recession we've ever seen.

But yeah, we need to switch over to alternatives as fast and painlessly as possible. Germany has run a rational fiscal policy for years, so they have plenty of room to borrow and then aggressively—but not necessarily overnight—pay it down.

Bryan Booth82 said:The pressure mounting on the German government to immediately halt all imports of gas, oil, and coal—following those horrific war crimes committed by the Russian military—is becoming impossible to ignore.

It’s even being whispered that calls for an immediate shutdown are coming from within their own administration, specifically from the Secretary of Defense.🤔
I can't help but feel that if they finally decide to cut ties with Russia, they could actually pull it off and lead the entire European Union to follow suit. Is it really too much to ask?

Best,

The only way they’ll actually do that is if they're total idiots—because first and foremost, it’s just going to screw themselves over. Sure, it would hurt the Russians in the long run, but in the short term? That move isn't stopping the war at all.
Lindner is a responsible guy, so I doubt we'll ever see it happen...

Larry Fox5 said:The only way they’ll actually do that is if they're total idiots—because first and foremost, it’s just going to screw themselves over. Sure, it would hurt the Russians in the long run, but in the short term? That move isn't stopping the war at all.
Lindner is a responsible guy, so I doubt we'll ever see it happen...

I feel like Germans have this one recurring issue where they swing wildly from one extreme to the other. Like, remember how they totally botched the whole transition away from nuclear energy? Just a total amateur move.

And just like that... when we first kicked off this thread, all sorts of characters popped up claiming Russia would struggle, while insisting the European Union "construct" was destined to collapse instead.

Well, here we are in March, and things are playing out exactly how we predicted. Food prices in Russia have spiked by 100-200%+, they’re even seeing theft detectors on canned goods, and Putin is barking like a toy poodle—claiming he doesn't need the Euro or the Dollar and that his own worthless paper is all he needs.

He reminds me of some stray dog barking at its own collar; once the collar is opened, he goes silent, just waiting for it to be fastened again so he can start yapping anew, all just to make the people in his own backyard think he’s actually strong, dangerous, and someone to be feared.

I’m honestly kicking myself for not bookmarking that one post from the general discussion thread where someone perfectly articulated Europe's defense strategy. Basically: "Attack us, and we stop trading with you." That is their ultimate weapon. It's more powerful than any hyper-megaultra-sonic missile—the economy. Europeans have finally learned that lesson, and I suppose the barbarians from the East will learn it eventually, too.

Europe might actually be unstoppable if the Canadians would just get out of the way. The Poles were pretty much aligned before the war started, but the question is how they’ll behave now. Will they keep holding the ladder for Viktor Orbán, or will they come to their senses and coordinate with the rest of the European Union on a decent right-wing pivot?

In a strange way, Putin has gained a few things from this war. A more unified Europe that is planning to become more self-sufficient and less susceptible to blackmail than ever before; Scandinavian neighbors who are SERIOUSLY considering joining NATO—something that never even crossed their minds before; a wrecked Russian economy; and a Ukraine that will be more leaned toward the West than ever. It's like some sort of twisted 4D chess.

Larry Fox5 said:The only way they’ll actually do that is if they're total idiots—because first and foremost, it’s just going to screw themselves over. Sure, it would hurt the Russians in the long run, but in the short term? That move isn't stopping the war at all.
Lindner is a responsible guy, so I doubt we'll ever see it happen...

Look, if there is an agreement reached within the European Union—and according to Olaf Scholz, those high-level discussions are already happening—then Lindner doesn't get the final say anyway.

lp

Justin Kern67 said:No, Russia's "economic power" isn't anywhere near the level of Spain. What you are trying to reference is just a comparison of GDP between Russia and Spain—an argument a certain pretentious forum user repeats incessantly here. Aside from the fact that GDP can be calculated in several different ways, it essentially tells you nothing about actual "economic power."
Now, everyone is busy debating energy prices, food costs, and all the other fallout that these sanctions—and the war in Ukraine in general (whether you believe it or not, Ukraine is also exceptionally vital to the global economy, far more important than Spain)—will leave across Europe. If Spain were to vanish tomorrow with its current economic structure, nobody would even notice.

I mean, sure, you can say stuff like that, but it's totally 🤦.

Bank of America is one of the biggest banks in the world, NextEra Energy is a massive player in energy, then you've got Ford, Gap Inc., huge agriculture, a top-tier tourism industry, and major sports and entertainment. It’s a super strong, diverse economy!

neonpuma30 said:I mean, sure, you can say stuff like that, but it's totally 🤦.

Bank of America is one of the biggest banks in the world, NextEra Energy is a massive player in energy, then you've got Ford, Gap Inc., huge agriculture, a top-tier tourism industry, and major sports and entertainment. It’s a super strong, diverse economy!

The shipbuilding industry is just as formidable.

Robert Barrett6 said:The big question is whether they can even find replacements at all. The USA, Canada, China, Japan, and North Korea basically represent 90% of global economic output and manufacturing. That accounts for roughly 75-80% of total oil and gas consumption. If you take China out of that equation, you're still looking at a 50-60% market share that has decided to boycott them, either right now or in the near future.

Dmitry Peskov claims there is a world existing outside of the West.
Admittedly, during his time in those old Soviet schools, they never quite grasped basic concepts like supply and demand, so it’s hardly surprising they are being tossed into the economic dustbin of history.
After all, if nobody has any use for their gas, they can always just deploy their massive military to create a demand by force. 😉