Sanctions on Russia

steelfox98 said:https://english.alarabiya.net/busine...-pipeline-jump

This has been dragging on for months, yet the Poles are acting like they won the lottery. What part of this isn't clicking?

Let me simplify things for you so you don't have to spin your wheels quite so much.

The Poles and the Baltic states said a permanent goodbye to Russian gas.
They’ve been preparing for this invasion of Ukraine since 2014 because, unlike the clueless folks in the West, they knew exactly what kind of people live just east of Ukraine.
The investments required for total independence from Russian gas will be finalized in just a few months.

And yet, here you are, still churning out posts about Yamal and some supposed Russian gas flowing through Germany. 👋

I'm not following, but what is so special about Ukraine anyway? Since when did everyone start obsessing over that place to the point where all of Europe is ready to go broke just to support them? And why the sudden rush to fix everything at light speed? It’s ridiculous. America wasn't even allowed to import a single rifle, yet they're handing over hundreds of tanks to Ukraine? Look, I get it—aggression, madness, whatever—but let's stop with the fairy tales. What is actually so special about Ukraine to the rest of the world?

wearydriver40 said:I'm not following, but what is so special about Ukraine anyway? Since when did everyone start obsessing over that place to the point where all of Europe is ready to go broke just to support them? And why the sudden rush to fix everything at light speed? It’s ridiculous. America wasn't even allowed to import a single rifle, yet they're handing over hundreds of tanks to Ukraine? Look, I get it—aggression, madness, whatever—but let's stop with the fairy tales. What is actually so special about Ukraine to the rest of the world?

It’s impossible to explain to someone who just doesn't get it.

And don't worry, Europe isn't going to fall apart.

By demonstrating they can effectively dismantle Russian aggression, their sacrifices serve more than just their own defense; they are actively neutralizing a threat to stability across the entire Western world.

A weapon is ultimately defined by its intended purpose—it’s simply a matter of whose hands are gripping it. This setup is a win-win for both Ukraine and those providing the support. Both sides are finally breaking free from the corrosive influence of the Kremlin's nonsense.

Arthur Watson4 said:It’s impossible to explain to someone who just doesn't get it.

And don't worry, Europe isn't going to fall apart.

Alright, I see you're "brilliant," so it's exhausting dealing with people who aren't on your level. But are you seriously suggesting all this selflessness, charity, and readiness for nuclear war is just about making sure justice wins? You really think that's how the world works? I highly doubt it, unless we're talking specifically about Ukraine. That's why I asked how! What's actually happening behind the scenes? Let's stop with the fairy tales, Ivy, and Mary.

wearydriver40 said:I'm not following, but what is so special about Ukraine anyway? Since when did everyone start obsessing over that place to the point where all of Europe is ready to go broke just to support them? And why the sudden rush to fix everything at light speed? It’s ridiculous. America wasn't even allowed to import a single rifle, yet they're handing over hundreds of tanks to Ukraine? Look, I get it—aggression, madness, whatever—but let's stop with the fairy tales. What is actually so special about Ukraine to the rest of the world?

Is it because this is straight-up a war of conquest? Just plain old grabbing someone else's land?
They aren't even trying to hide the fact that they're attempting to annex territory for Russia anymore.

https://mobile.twitter.com/DemeryUK/...C4iZWO954qAAAA

They're swapping out street signs, putting up statues of Lenin, hoisting Soviet flags... you name it, they're doing it.

wearydriver40 said:I'm not following, but what is so special about Ukraine anyway? Since when did everyone start obsessing over that place to the point where all of Europe is ready to go broke just to support them? And why the sudden rush to fix everything at light speed? It’s ridiculous. America wasn't even allowed to import a single rifle, yet they're handing over hundreds of tanks to Ukraine? Look, I get it—aggression, madness, whatever—but let's stop with the fairy tales. What is actually so special about Ukraine to the rest of the world?

It's Russia bleeding out through a thousand cuts, man.

http://www.avtotor.ru/news/2066-avto...ki-pod-ogorody

So, after losing those big contracts with BMW, Hyundai, and Kia, Avto rotor is trying something pretty wild to help out their staff. They’re basically offering social support in the form of land; every worker gets 1,000 square feet of space on the factory's 300-acre lot to start their own little vegetable garden. Apparently, they're doing this to "ease the heavy situation the company is currently facing." Kind of a crazy way to handle a crisis, right?

hollowdriver13 said:Is it because this is straight-up a war of conquest? Just plain old grabbing someone else's land?
They aren't even trying to hide the fact that they're attempting to annex territory for Russia anymore.

https://mobile.twitter.com/DemeryUK/...C4iZWO954qAAAA

They're swapping out street signs, putting up statues of Lenin, hoisting Soviet flags... you name it, they're doing it.

How long do they honestly think those new signs and statues are actually going to last?

wearydriver40 said:Alright, I see you're "brilliant," so it's exhausting dealing with people who aren't on your level. But are you seriously suggesting all this selflessness, charity, and readiness for nuclear war is just about making sure justice wins? You really think that's how the world works? I highly doubt it, unless we're talking specifically about Ukraine. That's why I asked how! What's actually happening behind the scenes? Let's stop with the fairy tales, Ivy, and Mary.

In the long run, there is a payoff when justice prevails, provided one remains consistent. Look at the occupation of Crimea—it wasn't met with sufficiently heavy sanctions. Consequently, someone in Moscow convinced themselves they could swallow all of Ukraine, fueled by the belief that the West is weak and dependent on them. They have finally received the message, but the timing is tragic; they can no longer restrain themselves. Their ego won't allow it. They would rather face self-destruction in Ukraine than embrace rational thought or decision-making. The collapse of a decaying political system isn't the issue; the issue is that they will drag tens of thousands of innocent people into unnecessary death in the process.

We really should have been looking closely at Russia back in 2008 after what happened in Georgia, rather than waiting until 2014 following the situation in Crimea.

I mean, if you look at the 10% of idiots today who are obsessed with NATO being threatened, bio-labs, genocide in the Donbas, or Europe freezing over, they couldn't care less about a place like Georgia where things are just messy again.

In my view, those who actually take a side with the Russians are ten times more principled than the "neutral" cowards who claim the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Nancy Gomez26 said:In the long run, there is a payoff when justice prevails, provided one remains consistent. Look at the occupation of Crimea—it wasn't met with sufficiently heavy sanctions. Consequently, someone in Moscow convinced themselves they could swallow all of Ukraine, fueled by the belief that the West is weak and dependent on them. They have finally received the message, but the timing is tragic; they can no longer restrain themselves. Their ego won't allow it. They would rather face self-destruction in Ukraine than embrace rational thought or decision-making. The collapse of a decaying political system isn't the issue; the issue is that they will drag tens of thousands of innocent people into unnecessary death in the process.

The easiest way to fix a problem is to address its roots.

If these kinds of sanctions had been implemented back in 2008 when Putin first attacked, we wouldn't be facing this situation today...

babarej said:This isn't really about Ukraine; it's primarily about Russia. The West has finally realized that Russia needs to be stopped and brought to its knees—that this isn't a civilized nation where diplomacy actually achieves anything. They possess a massive military, nuclear weapons, and an appetite for territorial expansion and killing anyone who stands in their way. Up until now, this behavior was tolerated because their conflicts were relatively successful and far from the EU.
Now, however, they have attacked their former "brother," and if Ukrainians hadn't resisted so decisively in those opening days, we wouldn't be seeing this reaction. But Ukrainians proved they are worth the risk. They are worth standing up and telling Putin, "Enough! No more!"

Despite energy dependencies and the current lack of military readiness among EU nations, everyone has decided to put an end to this. That is the bottom line. Economically, things will be difficult, and energy solutions will need to be found, but in two or three years, everything will look completely different. Unless Russia starts deploying nuclear weapons, there is only one direction this goes, and that is clear to everyone. Someone else mentioned this in another thread: this war is already over; the only question is how much longer it will drag on.

Russia is a threat to all its neighbors and to civilized society at large, and a response is required. Russia needs to learn a lesson. Either they become a normal state, or they face total isolation. How long it takes them to learn that lesson remains to be seen—I fear it may take decades of isolation before anyone manages to steer them back in the right direction. It is a shame, as cooperation could have brought immense benefits to everyone.

👍

Regardless of how long this war lasts, Russia needs to remain under sanctions for a significant amount of time.
"Fool me once..." — it's more than just a cliché.

Sanctions are going to absolutely wreck the Russian economy. It’s funny, though—I see so many people arguing they won't, and their only proof is... well, current exchange rates. Honestly, if I were playing Monopoly at home, I’d just decide the dollar is 1:1 too.
In the short term, sure, people can keep playing circus and keeping their heads in the sand. But long term? I think they’ve completely lost their nerve and have basically multiplied themselves by zero for decades. Past and future alike.

Lisa Grant2 said:Sanctions are going to absolutely wreck the Russian economy. It’s funny, though—I see so many people arguing they won't, and their only proof is... well, current exchange rates. Honestly, if I were playing Monopoly at home, I’d just decide the dollar is 1:1 too.
In the short term, sure, people can keep playing circus and keeping their heads in the sand. But long term? I think they’ve completely lost their nerve and have basically multiplied themselves by zero for decades. Past and future alike.

The real sting of sanctions lies in how they will drive foreign investors out of Russia.
Russians simply don't possess the technology that foreign firms bring to the table—which means their ability to export oil, gas, and more will inevitably shrink.
That was their lifeline.

Now, this doesn't mean Russians will be starving tomorrow.
To see that level of desperation, you have to wait.

We are currently in the "crying on Instagram" phase.
Next comes the "tech shortage" phase—where they slowly regress back to the 1980s and the era of amateur women's soccer.
The North Korea phase only happens after all that.

Nancy Gomez26 said:Russia is a massive threat to all its neighbors and to civilized society—there needs to be a response. They need to learn their lesson. Either they become a normal country or they face total isolation. Who knows how long that’ll take? I’m honestly worried we’re looking at decades of isolation before anyone actually manages to steer them back toward the right path. It’s such a shame because, if they had cooperated, everyone could have benefited so much more.

Honestly, you might as well just swap out "Russia" for "USSR" and pretend this whole post was written back in the 80s.
As far as we know—hopefully—it hasn't been that many years since Gorbachev took power... whether he was forced into it or not, he did something incredible: he dismantled his own military-political-economic powerhouse without even suffering a military defeat.
Looking back from today's perspective, the West's response was an absolute disaster.
If they had handled it better, we probably wouldn't still be stuck spinning these Cold War narratives today.

Lisa Jackson7 said:Honestly, you might as well just swap out "Russia" for "USSR" and pretend this whole post was written back in the 80s.
As far as we know—hopefully—it hasn't been that many years since Gorbachev took power... whether he was forced into it or not, he did something incredible: he dismantled his own military-political-economic powerhouse without even suffering a military defeat.
Looking back from today's perspective, the West's response was an absolute disaster.
If they had handled it better, we probably wouldn't still be stuck spinning these Cold War narratives today.

I disagree.
The Russians (and everyone else in the former Soviet bloc) were likely expecting something akin to the Marshall Plan—a lifeline for a nation that had been struggling since WWII.
Take Japan, for example: they thought they had massive investment coming their way, until Americans reminded them that troops could be withdrawn from the country, so they backed off.
Russia actually wanted to join NATO, but they were essentially laughed out of the room 😬

On the other hand, who was the West actually supposed to help?
Which structures were even in power, and how much instability were we dealing with?

There is always room for improvement, but...
Sometimes, there simply isn't a viable option to choose from.

Rachel Richardson said:I disagree.
The Russians (and everyone else in the former Soviet bloc) were likely expecting something akin to the Marshall Plan—a lifeline for a nation that had been struggling since WWII.
Take Japan, for example: they thought they had massive investment coming their way, until Americans reminded them that troops could be withdrawn from the country, so they backed off.
Russia actually wanted to join NATO, but they were essentially laughed out of the room 😬

On the other hand, who was the West actually supposed to help?
Which structures were even in power, and how much instability were we dealing with?

There is always room for improvement, but...
Sometimes, there simply isn't a viable option to choose from.

The Gaidar reformers definitely expected Help, if we're talking about Russia... 1991 and 1992 were the make-or-break years, maybe even just that window right after the USSR collapsed through mid-'92.
The Bush administration basically did nothing, what with elections, economic recovery, and all that other stuff.
I didn't know about the Japan thing—what exactly was the threat there?

Regarding Russia wanting in on NATO, they could have leaned hard into "Partnership for Peace" or some kind of associate status in the EU, but that ship sailed.

On the flip side, who was the West actually supposed to help?
Who was running the show, and how much instability were we dealing with?

There's always room for improvement, but...
Sometimes you don't even have a real choice to make.

Like I said—first you had the Gaidar reformers, then the Apple party led by Yavlenski.
You couldn't get a 100% guarantee, obviously, but in the early '90s, the West—specifically the Americans—had massive leverage. That famous Sachov plan should have looked different, focusing way more on building actual political and economic institutions.

Once you miss those windows for making the right moves to steer Russia toward democracy, it's game over. But the big shots in the West didn't really care... just like so many times before, they just went looking for a quick fix to get the job done.
Any resemblance to the Weimar Republic and Hitler isn't just a coincidence.

What’s the Russian response to this? Are they just going to shut off the gas supply entirely?
https://gcaptain.com/ship-insurers-c...ia-sovcomflot/

Carl Lee27 said:What’s the Russian response to this? Are they just going to shut off the gas supply entirely?
https://gcaptain.com/ship-insurers-c...ia-sovcomflot/

Basically, Sovcomflot is dumping a third of its fleet just to keep some cash flowing. You've got Western insurance giants—who pretty much own the market—refusing to cover their ships, a massive drop in demand for Russian oil, pressure to pay down debts, and the constant grind of monthly operating costs... it's a mess.

https://lloydslist.maritimeintellige...ot-tanker-sale

https://mobile.twitter.com/Burggrabe...rc%5Etfw

https://www.maritime-executive.com/a...ale-of-tankers

https://www.maritimebulletin.net/202...s-obligations/

https://mobile.twitter.com/Osinttech...Cz-fyw-J8qAAAA

He probably thought he could just stash his yacht out in Fiji and be fine, but nope—the Americans showed up with the local authorities and boom, seized it right out from under him.