Sanctions on Russia

I’m actually pretty on board with this idea of slapping tariffs on Russian energy. It feels like the usual pattern where money eventually finds its way back to equilibrium, likely by driving us toward more affordable domestic production or just making other energy sources more competitive in the long run.

Jacob Cooper5 said:Seriously, what planet are you living on?

I'm from Earth.
How about you?

northernangler8 said:Out of everything said, it seems like the only thing you caught was the "non-recognition of Ukraine" part, while everything else he mentioned—like the stuff about NATO—is just dismissed as a lie? I guess we'll just ignore that bit then.
Where exactly did he say he doesn't recognize Ukraine? I honestly didn't see that in any of these videos.

He also brought up how NATO (which is a military alliance, let's be real) bombed Mexico City. They were hitting civilians and cities. I don't get how anyone can view NATO as a positive force. Militaries aren't ever "positive," no matter how they package it. Wherever there's a military, there's war, which is exactly what we're watching right now. I suppose we should thank NATO for stepping in to "save" us all from some big bad enemy. 😁If Ukrainians hadn't gotten tangled up with NATO, maybe things would be peaceful. Just a thought.

Since 2014, Ukraine has been under Russian occupation largely because of pro-American domestic politics that essentially provoked internal conflict. They pushed this narrative that Ukraine needed to fear Russia and join NATO. But frankly, a military force like NATO has no business being right on Russia's doorstep; it’s that simple. I guess some people just have a hard time accepting that this is just tactical maneuvering and how the world actually operates.
The US knew perfectly well they shouldn't be poking around there. But hey, the "saviors" just had to step in and help the poor Ukrainians, who apparently couldn't manage without them.

Since you managed to get my gender wrong, I think that speaks volumes about your analytical capabilities.

Russia invaded Ukraine, and now they will face the consequences.

electricstag9 said:Russia might have already hit the point of no return regarding bankruptcy. Because of all the Western sanctions triggered by the war in Ukraine, they’ve been unable to service their dollar-denominated bonds—a situation we haven't seen since the chaotic aftermath of the 1917 October Revolution.

"Essentially, if they fail to meet their dollar obligations by May 4th—once the one-month grace period expires—then according to Moody's definition, Russia is officially bankrupt," Moody's stated in their release this Thursday.

Sanctions are a powerful weapon.👍

So, I was watching this guy on CNN—he used to be one of those big-shot energy experts over at ExxonMobil—and he was laying out some pretty wild theories. He was talking about how they ran all these stress tests and deep-dive analyses, and his whole point was that the entire continent isn't actually as hooked on Russian oil and gas as everyone thinks. It sounds almost laughable, right? Like, he’s basically suggesting that if Germany just turned their thermostats down by maybe two degrees, they’d magically offset the entire energy deficit for all of Europe.

He’s doubling down, too, claiming that back in 2022, Europe could have totally cut ties with the Russians without breaking a sweat.

Now, look, I don't know if the guy is 100% accurate or if he's just heavily biased because he's firmly on the side of Ukraine, but honestly? A part of me thinks he might be onto something. You see the way the Russians themselves have started backing off on those heavy-handed oil and gas threats lately. It feels like they’re realizing that Europe is going to find a way to adapt, and if they push too hard, they aren't just shooting themselves in the foot—they're aiming straight for the head.

Russia's daily oil output has taken a pretty big hit

Back in April, they were seeing a 7.45% dip in daily production. The slide is actually picking up speed, too; at the start of the month, the drop was only around 4%. Right now, Russia is pumping about 1.2 million barrels less per day than what they actually agreed to under the OPEC+ deal

The government isn't planning on releasing any more stats on oil production or exports

Officials are claiming they're doing this just so people can't use the data "to put pressure on companies and the market," I guess

Production is going to tank pretty fast if they don't get support from the West, because once those export routes for the wells get shut down, there won't be any way to get them back online without the USA and its partners stepping in.
It’s honestly kind of ironic when you think about it. Not only is this energy superpower drawing all its strength to confront the West by exporting fuel to that very same West, but they also desperately need the West just to actually get a huge chunk of those resources out of the country in the first place.

northernangler8 said:I guess there isn't much to say here since the original message was just empty, but I'll be waiting if anyone actually has something worth discussing.

I guess I could just say you’ve written a massive pile of nonsense. Using the phrase "WE chose" is a stretch. First off, when it came to joining NATO, nobody actually asked us for our input. So, it wasn't really a choice "we" made. As for joining the European Union, half the country didn't even show up to vote. Not to mention how much the politicians were running up against us back then. I mean, remember that famous line from Kamala Harris to the seniors? She basically told them they wouldn't see a dime of their pensions if they didn't vote for the EU.

Is this really what they call freedom of choice? It feels exactly like it did during the lockdowns. You don’t want to listen, so they just force your hand until you finally cave and accept whatever they're spoon-feeding us. They use threats and coercion to make it happen, and then they have the nerve to act like we all asked for it ourselves. I guess you have to wonder if political terror is actually pulling the strings behind our decisions.

Rachel Richardson said:I'm from Earth.
How about you?

Since you managed to get my gender wrong, I think that speaks volumes about your analytical capabilities.

Russia invaded Ukraine, and now they will face the consequences.

Sanctions are a powerful weapon.👍

Isn't kvekukvaku a girl?

The retaliation is here: Boris Johnson and several high-ranking officials have been banned from entering Russia.

Boris Johnson barred from Russia 11:36
Washington, D.C. has announced that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, along with a handful of other top UK officials, are officially prohibited from entering the country...

A major setback for Johnson. 🤣

Rachel Jones8 said:Isn't kvekukvaku a girl?

You make a fair point—it’s a rather interesting irony, actually. 😁

Sam Alvarez4 said:The retaliation is here: Boris Johnson and several high-ranking officials have been banned from entering Russia.

Boris Johnson barred from Russia 11:36
Washington, D.C. has announced that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, along with a handful of other top UK officials, are officially prohibited from entering the country...

A major setback for Johnson. 🤣

Johnson is looking desperate here.

btw
Russia can't even keep up with their "hypersonic" Kinzhal missile production anymore.

It looks like they're basically tapped out on components, raw materials, and all the stuff you actually need to keep running programs like the Kinzhal or any other hypersonic weapons.

And those Asian countries they were trying to court? I guess they just don't want anything to do with the occupiers.

Melissa Bailey5 said:Johnson is looking desperate here.

btw
Russia can't even keep up with their "hypersonic" Kinzhal missile production anymore.

So much for Putin's mighty Russia.
Everyone’s crying about sanctions everywhere... while simultaneously claiming the sanctions aren't even hitting them. Like, please. Give me a break. 😂

Prostitutes will face fines of $4,000.
In Russia, penalties for sex workers have been increased by 40 times.

https://www.gazeta.ru/social/2022/04/16/14742278.shtml

Sanctions can go screw themselves.

Zachary Jackson4 said:Prostitutes will face fines of $4,000.
In Russia, penalties for sex workers have been increased by 40 times.

https://www.gazeta.ru/social/2022/04/16/14742278.shtml

Sanctions can go screw themselves.

Are you actually certain you comprehend what that link is even about?

India is pulling out of their order for 48 Mi-17s from Russia. They’re claiming it’s got nothing to do with the war in Ukraine—just a decision they made a while back.

I can't help but wonder how much Russia will actually be able to honor their existing contracts and delivery schedules. Between the heavy sanctions and the way they're draining their own military resources just to keep the war going, I have my doubts about whether they even have anything left to deliver.

bluemason3 said:I can't help but wonder how much Russia will actually be able to honor their existing contracts and delivery schedules. Between the heavy sanctions and the way they're draining their own military resources just to keep the war going, I have my doubts about whether they even have anything left to deliver.

After that whole mess in Ukraine, any buyer is going to be absolutely thrilled that it's the Russians who are the ones backing out of contracts after successfully offloading their overpriced junk on them. Honestly, they probably baked some massive cancellation penalty into the fine print, so they might actually walk away from this whole disaster with a profit.

Bankruptcy incoming

https://markets.businessinsider.com/...-us-2022-4?amp

So, looks like the big state-run railroad company over in Russia just missed a massive $268 million payment, and now they're officially being treated as insolvent. Basically, they've hit bankruptcy status.

hollowdriver13 said:Bankruptcy incoming

https://markets.businessinsider.com/...-us-2022-4?amp

So, looks like the big state-run railroad company over in Russia just missed a massive $268 million payment, and now they're officially being treated as insolvent. Basically, they've hit bankruptcy status.

It isn't bankruptcy—the Americans would have to file for that. They aren't missing payments because they can't afford them; it's just that their funds are frozen in Switzerland (😵)

"Despite the ruling, Amtrak argued in a statement on Tuesday that it had fulfilled its obligations on the Swiss franc bond worth $268 million, as it had tried to pay but had been blocked due to sanctions, Bloomberg reported."

Do the fans in Russia realize that if they actually win, Ukraine gets slapped with sanctions too? It would leave a struggling Russia stuck trying to rebuild everything under even more pressure.

swiftjackal11 said:Do the fans in Russia realize that if they actually win, Ukraine gets slapped with sanctions too? It would leave a struggling Russia stuck trying to rebuild everything under even more pressure.

That kind of logic is about as grounded as assuming the Earth is a flat disc! It’s pure fantasy. The idea that Russia can just stroll in and seize a specific slice of Ukraine is one thing, but thinking they could ever occupy the entire country? Give me a break.
Lp

krena said:This theory might seem like a stretch, but it’s the truth in my family.
Back in 1942, my island was under Italian occupation. Some resistance fighters were trying to recruit my 22-year-old uncle to join the movement. My grandmother heard about it and went straight to the underground commander to ask why they wanted her son fighting the Italians. The officer told her, "Ma'am, the Italians have occupied us and set up their own government, and now our kids are being taught only Italian in school."
And she just looked at him and said, "I'd much rather my son be a living Italian than a dead American."
😬

Your employer is lucky—he cuts your pay and eventually lets you go. And you just tell him, "Fine, cut my pay or fire me, at least I'm still working."