Sanctions on Russia

hollowdriver13 said:https://twitter.com/karlnehammer/sta...36100375601152

The Austrian Chancellor actually chimed in to say that's not true—apparently, it’s just fake news meant to stir up trouble.
But man, you guys sure were eager to jump on any "win" for that big-time chess player and his Asterix crew.

So, how's that business selling oil for rubles in Asia going?

https://www.euractiv.com/section/pol...n-oil-imports/

And how's the oil sales over to ExxonMobil looking?

Is Reuters just spreading Russian propaganda now? 🤣
Or is Nehammer just playing damage control after this morning's press conference? While some were busy giving advice, the Bulgarians and Poles kept doing what they always do—ignoring it. Meanwhile, it looks like the Germans and Austrians already struck a deal behind the scenes.
Here's the statement:

Russian Energy giant Gazprom on Wednesday halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland for failing to pay for gas in roubles. Nehammer said they had declined to use the payment system through Gazprombank that Austria, Germany and others have adopted.

https://www.reuters.com/business/ene...es-2022-04-27/

Ever since they teamed up with the Associated Press, Reuters has been all too happy to push Russian disinformation. It looks like my colleague hasn't quite caught up on that development yet.

They call it "reputation laundering," though more often than not, the whole thing just ends up being a dirty mess.

Right now, it looks like Canada might be the only one actually paying in rubles. Maybe Slovakia will follow suit too.
Austria is definitely throwing a curveball here, and man, if Germany and Italy decide to light them up... then another one of those "divide and conquer" strategies just falls apart. It feels like Russia is running out of moves; if they can't squeeze the European Union by threatening energy supplies, all they've got left is the nuclear option.

(I mean, Reuters is usually a solid source, but they've put out a few weird stories regarding Russia lately, so I’m keeping my guard up.)

steelfox98 said:The Austrians folded almost immediately after yesterday's gas cutoff to Poland and Bulgaria. It looks like the Germans already made their peace with the terms.

Russian Energy giant Gazprom on Wednesday halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland for failing to pay for gas in roubles. Nehammer Said They Had declined to Use The Payment system through Gazprombank that Austria, Germany and others have adopted.

https://www.reuters.com/business/ene...es-2022-04-27/

https://apa.az/en/europe/austria-agr...-rubles-374600

Payments are still being settled in euros; even the Reuters article makes that clear.

https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/rus...ns-11650677765

If things are going so incredibly well for them economically, and everyone is just sitting around waiting for the West to finally collapse, then why on earth did Russia decide to ban the publication of all those economic stats starting on the 23rd?

It’s honestly wild when you look at the pattern—it’s like we're slapping heavy sanctions on Mordor while doing the exact opposite for Ukraine. The European Union is basically tearing down every single barrier, wiping out tariffs, customs, and quotas left and right...
https://twitter.com/VDombrovskis/sta...74203341590528

I guess this matters because it hints at where China is actually heading (though they'll probably be turning their back on Russia pretty damn slowly).

DJI, the Chinese drone giant, is pulling its operations out of Russia and Ukraine

Ursula and the rest of the European Union are losing their minds today because gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland have been cut off. They’re crying foul, claiming it’s blackmail and that it violates existing contracts.
Funny how those contracts don't seem to matter one bit whenever we decide to freeze or seize Russian state and private assets. 🤣
It’s such a shame we can't just tap into the hypocrisy and desperation found within the EU as a primary energy source—we'd be completely energy independent overnight. 🤣
Bulgarians and Poles can stop worrying; the Commission will make sure they get their gas. Exactly where it's coming from? That part remains a mystery.

This is a massive opportunity for America to finally pull ahead and leave Bulgaria in the rearview mirror. 🙂

steelraven74 said:Ursula and the rest of the European Union are losing their minds today because gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland have been cut off. They’re crying foul, claiming it’s blackmail and that it violates existing contracts.
Funny how those contracts don't seem to matter one bit whenever we decide to freeze or seize Russian state and private assets. 🤣
It’s such a shame we can't just tap into the hypocrisy and desperation found within the EU as a primary energy source—we'd be completely energy independent overnight. 🤣
Bulgarians and Poles can stop worrying; the Commission will make sure they get their gas. Exactly where it's coming from? That part remains a mystery.

I honestly think the Poles are sitting pretty right now. I mean, they've got their own LNG terminal, and now they're linked up with that facility in Lithuania—well, once that gets busy serving the Baltic region—plus they'll have that pipeline heading toward Norway soon enough. As for the Bulgarians, I'm not totally certain about their status, at least not for the rest of this year. They have managed to secure some supply from the Azeri, and since this past summer, they've had that interconnect with the Greeks, and then early next year, they're getting that floating LNG terminal over in Alexandria, which should bring in about 6 billion cubic meters annually.

Carl Lee27 said:I honestly think the Poles are sitting pretty right now. I mean, they've got their own LNG terminal, and now they're linked up with that facility in Lithuania—well, once that gets busy serving the Baltic region—plus they'll have that pipeline heading toward Norway soon enough. As for the Bulgarians, I'm not totally certain about their status, at least not for the rest of this year. They have managed to secure some supply from the Azeri, and since this past summer, they've had that interconnect with the Greeks, and then early next year, they're getting that floating LNG terminal over in Alexandria, which should bring in about 6 billion cubic meters annually.

The United Kingdom is planning to build 8 nuclear power plants by 2030.
Germany could always just flip the switch on those nuclear plants they recently shut down when they made the big move toward solar and wind.

Some countries might find their salvation in electricity, especially since the US and Europe both have these massive plans to shift entirely to EVs anyway.

As for everyone else, the government really ought to step in with some tax breaks or incentives to make transitioning to other energy sources—like wood heating—a bit easier to manage.
Here in the States, we get about 40% from our own domestic sources, and we pull in some LNG because we have the infrastructure for it.
The US can definitely adapt to different energy sources; it doesn't all have to revolve around gas.

London: Garry Kasparov, the legendary Russian chess grandmaster, isn't holding back on his criticism of world No.1 tennis star Novak Djokovic for backing Russian athletes—basically claiming that if you aren't actively speaking out against Vladimir Putin’s “war of extermination in Ukraine,” then your silence is basically an endorsement.

https://www.india.com/sports/garry-k...lence-5361898/

electricsurfer47 said:The United Kingdom is planning to build 8 nuclear power plants by 2030.
Germany could always just flip the switch on those nuclear plants they recently shut down when they made the big move toward solar and wind.

Some countries might find their salvation in electricity, especially since the US and Europe both have these massive plans to shift entirely to EVs anyway.

As for everyone else, the government really ought to step in with some tax breaks or incentives to make transitioning to other energy sources—like wood heating—a bit easier to manage.
Here in the States, we get about 40% from our own domestic sources, and we pull in some LNG because we have the infrastructure for it.
The US can definitely adapt to different energy sources; it doesn't all have to revolve around gas.

Anything is possible, provided you ask how long it takes and what the price tag is. Honestly, this whole Western policy approach is a massive joke. Constantly fueling tensions and hostility with Russia while simultaneously becoming more dependent on Russian energy is a total circus act.

Joshua Myers432 said:Anything is possible, provided you ask how long it takes and what the price tag is. Honestly, this whole Western policy approach is a massive joke. Constantly fueling tensions and hostility with Russia while simultaneously becoming more dependent on Russian energy is a total circus act.

What hostility? Did someone attack or threaten Russia? Maybe, just maybe, you'll eventually realize that Russia is actually the villain in this story.

Joshua Myers432 said:Anything is possible, provided you ask how long it takes and what the price tag is. Honestly, this whole Western policy approach is a massive joke. Constantly fueling tensions and hostility with Russia while simultaneously becoming more dependent on Russian energy is a total circus act.

Out of all the ways you could characterize how the EU handles its relationship with Russia, you really went with the angle that the EU has been "constantly maintaining tensions and hostility toward Russia." That's quite a choice. 🤔

Seriously?

Good grief. 🤣

Christian Torres3 said:What hostility? Did someone attack or threaten Russia? Maybe, just maybe, you'll eventually realize that Russia is actually the villain in this story.

I’m not sure if you even grasp the purpose of NATO or why it was established in the first place. Let’s be honest: expanding NATO eastward and encircling Russia is nothing more than a blatant display of hostility toward them.

Sure, nations have every right to form military alliances as they see fit—but don't act surprised when you end up becoming dependent on hostile energy suppliers because of it. Honestly, the political maneuvering in Europe over the last century has been utterly nonsensical, leading directly to two World Wars on European soil, and now it looks like we're sprinting headlong into a third.

At the end of the day, "villain" and "hero" are just matters of perspective. And yes, I believe Russia is the bad guy here. That's my subjective take, just as yours is yours.

Joshua Myers432 said:I’m not sure if you even grasp the purpose of NATO or why it was established in the first place. Let’s be honest: expanding NATO eastward and encircling Russia is nothing more than a blatant display of hostility toward them.

Sure, nations have every right to form military alliances as they see fit—but don't act surprised when you end up becoming dependent on hostile energy suppliers because of it. Honestly, the political maneuvering in Europe over the last century has been utterly nonsensical, leading directly to two World Wars on European soil, and now it looks like we're sprinting headlong into a third.

At the end of the day, "villain" and "hero" are just matters of perspective. And yes, I believe Russia is the bad guy here. That's my subjective take, just as yours is yours.

NATO is a defensive alliance, not an offensive one.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO

Joshua Myers432 said:I’m not sure if you even grasp the purpose of NATO or why it was established in the first place. Let’s be honest: expanding NATO eastward and encircling Russia is nothing more than a blatant display of hostility toward them.

Sure, nations have every right to form military alliances as they see fit—but don't act surprised when you end up becoming dependent on hostile energy suppliers because of it. Honestly, the political maneuvering in Europe over the last century has been utterly nonsensical, leading directly to two World Wars on European soil, and now it looks like we're sprinting headlong into a third.

At the end of the day, "villain" and "hero" are just matters of perspective. And yes, I believe Russia is the bad guy here. That's my subjective take, just as yours is yours.

If that 69D chess player in the Kremlin hadn't pulled a few more years out of his sleeve, NATO would probably be falling apart by now due to internal drama and aimless wandering.
And don't even get me started on Europe itself. Before this mess, the US barely gave a damn about them; we were focusing our attention on the Pacific while European countries treated their militaries like some ancient relic or a massive waste of money (just look at the state of the Bundeswehr).
That's a solid assessment of Russia, 👍 though it's almost as much of a toss-up as how hard Ukraine will fight back against the invasion.
Historically speaking, things usually end up going "well" for Russia and the rest of the world only after Europe arms itself to the teeth and the arsenals start firing at each other...

hollowdriver13 said:If that 69D chess player in the Kremlin hadn't pulled a few more years out of his sleeve, NATO would probably be falling apart by now due to internal drama and aimless wandering.
And don't even get me started on Europe itself. Before this mess, the US barely gave a damn about them; we were focusing our attention on the Pacific while European countries treated their militaries like some ancient relic or a massive waste of money (just look at the state of the Bundeswehr).
That's a solid assessment of Russia, 👍 though it's almost as much of a toss-up as how hard Ukraine will fight back against the invasion.
Historically speaking, things usually end up going "well" for Russia and the rest of the world only after Europe arms itself to the teeth and the arsenals start firing at each other...

But Putin doesn't have the luxury of waiting. He’s obsessed with his legacy and how he'll be etched into the history books. It isn't about making Russia a global powerhouse again—even if that would make the country much stronger—it's entirely about him as a historical figure.

Because if he lays down a foundation that someone else uses to rebuild Russia twenty years from now, then that successor gets all the credit, not him.

I guess when you're a small man, the only way you know how to try and become a conqueror or an emperor is through war.
Sadly, he'll likely just be remembered as the guy who buried the idea of a modern, prosperous, and influential Russia. He'll go down as the failed dictator who gutted his own country with corruption and pushed Europe to the brink of World War III, while being tied to war crimes and nuclear threats.
At least guys like Stalin or Hitler had moments in history that people can even partially marvel at; Putin will just be remembered as a massive disgrace who brought nothing but hatred, destruction, corruption, regression, and poverty.
A total embarrassment for Russia and for the century we're living in.

Joshua Myers432 said:I’m not sure if you even grasp the purpose of NATO or why it was established in the first place. Let’s be honest: expanding NATO eastward and encircling Russia is nothing more than a blatant display of hostility toward them.

Sure, nations have every right to form military alliances as they see fit—but don't act surprised when you end up becoming dependent on hostile energy suppliers because of it. Honestly, the political maneuvering in Europe over the last century has been utterly nonsensical, leading directly to two World Wars on European soil, and now it looks like we're sprinting headlong into a third.

At the end of the day, "villain" and "hero" are just matters of perspective. And yes, I believe Russia is the bad guy here. That's my subjective take, just as yours is yours.

Let's be honest, you're talking total nonsense.