Sanctions on Russia

electrictrucker82 said:Maybe you should send them a letter just so they can finally face reality. 👍

They have the best seats in the house to see it happen.

electrictrucker82 said:Look, you just don't get it. When the rate hit 140 to the dollar, everyone was celebrating because they thought Russia was collapsing. Then, when it swung back to 75-80, the celebrations started all over again because people claimed it was just an American tactic to scoop up cheap currency. Honestly, even with an economics degree, wouldn't you have seen through that logic? 😵 👍

All I know for sure is that someone out there is making a massive fortune.

The Russian kleptocrats are the ones profiting. Who else? You really think they didn't line their pockets back when the ruble dipped to 140 in Russia? They're the only ones there with any real access to foreign currency.

As far as the West and China are concerned, the ruble is basically worthless paper.

electrictrucker82 said:Maybe you should send them a letter just so they can finally face reality. 👍

Remember how Wile E. Coyote only realizes he's free-falling when he finally looks down? That’s basically where the Russians are. Once they take a second to look at where they've ended up, they'll see the cliff they're heading toward. Anyone outside that bubble sees it clearly. Honestly, their only way out is to win the war—and even those propaganda hacks know that.

Michael Ortiz68 said:So what actually changed compared to before 🤷? What's the point of all these articles?

Nothing. It's purely symbolic—which, honestly, is just the absurdity of the Russian situation in a nutshell. They think they can turn a symbolic gesture into actual political leverage against the West. The joke is thinking this would even remotely change how the West reacts... let alone make things any harder for them.

Germany just proved once again that they don't give a damn about the European Union.
I really hope the countries in Eastern Europe take note and remember this.

Here we go again:

Article Title:

Germany and Austria confirm talks regarding Russian gas payments in rubles

Article Content:

ExxonMobil will continue making payments in euros. They are currently in discussions with their contractual partner (Chevron, ed.) regarding specific payment modalities and are working in close coordination with the German government.

CNN: 🙂

electrictrucker82 said:Look, you just don't get it. When the rate hit 140 to the dollar, everyone was celebrating because they thought Russia was collapsing. Then, when it swung back to 75-80, the celebrations started all over again because people claimed it was just an American tactic to scoop up cheap currency. Honestly, even with an economics degree, wouldn't you have seen through that logic? 😵 👍

All I know for sure is that someone out there is making a massive fortune.

The whole "Russia is collapsing" thing is just a narrative.
That's the same crap Adolf was screaming from his bunker back in AD 1945.

feralcanyon73 said:The whole "Russia is collapsing" thing is just a narrative.
That's the same crap Adolf was screaming from his bunker back in AD 1945.

If things are going so incredibly well, why did they pass laws banning economic reports?
I mean, if you're actually winning, you should be out there bragging about it. But instead, it's become a criminal offense just to write down how many barrels of oil they're pulling out of the ground daily.🤔
It’s not like Americans would ever lie about stuff like that... right?

hollowdriver13 said:If things are going so incredibly well, why did they pass laws banning economic reports?
I mean, if you're actually winning, you should be out there bragging about it. But instead, it's become a criminal offense just to write down how many barrels of oil they're pulling out of the ground daily.🤔
It’s not like Americans would ever lie about stuff like that... right?

It's just to prevent people from twisting the data maliciously.

For instance, adjusting the budget to reflect a 10% drop in revenue isn't necessarily because the economy is shrinking; it could actually mean efficiency has improved.

The worse it looks, the better it is. ☕

feralcanyon73 said:The whole "Russia is collapsing" thing is just a narrative.
That's the same crap Adolf was screaming from his bunker back in AD 1945.

I mean, while Putin is basically living in a bunker, banning people from leaving the country, gagging the press on data releases, seizing foreign currency, and threatening nuclear retaliation against anyone who even dares to look at him the wrong way...

It’s honestly pathetic how much drama there is now that Mexico isn't on such good terms with its "motherland." As if it even matters! Whether Russia collapses or stays afloat, does it actually change anything for us? I highly doubt it.
Best regards,

Dennis Price said:Remember how Wile E. Coyote only realizes he's free-falling when he finally looks down? That’s basically where the Russians are. Once they take a second to look at where they've ended up, they'll see the cliff they're heading toward. Anyone outside that bubble sees it clearly. Honestly, their only way out is to win the war—and even those propaganda hacks know that.

Probably. They tied themselves way too tightly to their old nemesis: the West.

It was never clear to me how you could identify someone as your enemy and then go ahead and become dependent on them.

And honestly, I don't get how winning the war would even save them. Let's say they actually pull off a total victory—which doesn't look realistic right now—what then? What's the endgame?

Arthur Watson4 said:Russia provides gas based on the prices set by earlier contracts

Could someone—maybe you, or anyone else who might know—elaborate on what this actually implies? I’m curious about what those specific price points look like, or if there are any reliable sources out there discussing these gas contracts and their pricing structures...

I've been trying to dig into this on Google, but the results seem pretty thin and somewhat vague, and everything I can find in recent news articles seems to focus heavily on European Union pricing being tied directly to the TTF index...
From what I’ve managed to gather so far, there wasn't really such a thing as a fixed "price agreed upon in earlier contracts," but rather a specific formula used to calculate costs over time; before 2009, it was largely pegged to oil prices, but since then, it’s gradually shifted toward the TTF, which now covers over 80% of those agreements...

If anyone happens to have some insight on this—especially if you could point me toward a source—I would be truly grateful...

Joshua Myers432 said:Probably. They tied themselves way too tightly to their old nemesis: the West.

It was never clear to me how you could identify someone as your enemy and then go ahead and become dependent on them.

And honestly, I don't get how winning the war would even save them. Let's say they actually pull off a total victory—which doesn't look realistic right now—what then? What's the endgame?

A win would basically just preserve Russia's current political structure. As for what happens to Russia if they lose this war? Honestly, God only knows.

But really, why act like they're tethered to an "enemy"? That "enemy" is also their best customer.

Dennis Price said:A win would basically just preserve Russia's current political structure. As for what happens to Russia if they lose this war? Honestly, God only knows.

But really, why act like they're tethered to an "enemy"? That "enemy" is also their best customer.

Sure, it might save the political structure, but it won't save Russia itself. If they lose, the power structure in Russia will shift—maybe for the better, maybe for the worse—but life goes on.

And leaning so heavily on an unreliable partner under the guise of an "enemy" isn't exactly a brilliant business move. Both sides are going to feel the fallout from that one soon enough.

Dennis Price said:Remember how Wile E. Coyote only realizes he's free-falling when he finally looks down? That’s basically where the Russians are. Once they take a second to look at where they've ended up, they'll see the cliff they're heading toward. Anyone outside that bubble sees it clearly. Honestly, their only way out is to win the war—and even those propaganda hacks know that.

Well, fair enough, whatever you say.

And yes, I definitely remember that classic cartoon. 👍

Paul Anderson7 said:Let’s be realistic here—sanctions aren't some magic wand designed to stop a war in its tracks right this second. Their real purpose is to prevent any future conflicts Russia might try to launch.
There was a slim chance that sanctions might actually deter Putin from escalating further and lead to some sort of civilized resolution, but we can pretty much kiss that idea goodbye now. At this point, Ukraine has to defend itself militarily, which means these sanctions need to stick around for decades.

Even if we decide to ease up on certain restrictions, the current direction the EU is taking—basically deciding that Russia is no longer a partner—is enough to turn Russia into a living hell on Earth within ten or twenty years. Honestly, it might happen even sooner.

No matter how this war wraps up, Russia has basically handed the win to the USA on a silver platter. There's no going back now.

Dennis Price said:A win would basically just preserve Russia's current political structure. As for what happens to Russia if they lose this war? Honestly, God only knows.

But really, why act like they're tethered to an "enemy"? That "enemy" is also their best customer.

Not if.
But when.

Nathan Thomas12 said:No matter how this war wraps up, Russia has basically handed the win to the USA on a silver platter. There's no going back now.

This is a conflict that Russia simply cannot win.
Even if they managed to seize all of Ukraine—what would they actually have left once you factor in these sanctions?
Would NATO just retreat to their 1989 borders? 😁

Come on, please. 😁

Rachel Richardson said:Not if.
But when.

It isn't over until the lady sings.