Sanctions on Russia

Russian fans can stick to the rubles, I'll take my dollars

gentlerider7 said:I bet rowdymaker17 is already busy brushing up on his Russian and Mandarin...

👍

rowdymaker17 said:That is merely half of what the top link provides. You should return to the original URL I posted, which actually details the current financial standing of Russia alongside the state of the European Union, whereas your article focuses solely on how certain EU bureaucrats believe they have dealt a massive blow to someone.

The link I provided clearly outlines the percentages regarding how much oil and gas every single European Union nation imports from Russia to meet its needs. As I have maintained in my previous comments, the European Union is staring down a logistical nightmare of the highest order, which, beyond just high raw material costs, implies even higher prices once that oil actually reaches European soil. All those member states currently in transition or struggling economically—just as the article itself notes—are going to get absolutely hammered. I would bet anything that Viktor Orbán will use this to engineer a coalition of these failing states to "attack" France and Germany. While we pretend to be "fighting" the world, we are actually just turning on one another within our own union, because anyone craving power now sees a golden opportunity to pose as a serious "threat" to France and Germany. It is no wonder people claim we are nothing more than a collection of dysfunctional nations.

It isn't the Russians who are importing oil; they aren't lacking in oil or gas, but the European Union certainly is... so perhaps try reading both articles before you continue with your commentary, as it is patently obvious you haven't read the article from your own link nor the one from mine. 👍

I honestly don't care what anyone managed to Google or what some algorithm decided to "recommend" to them. I stopped using links as proof for expert opinions a long time ago. You can counter any link with a counter-link until everyone is just arguing with themselves.

Enjoy your mass media binge! With zombies like that, nobody needs to worry about a revolution.

Once upon a time in a distant corner of the universe...

analogbear5 said:I honestly don't care what anyone managed to Google or what some algorithm decided to "recommend" to them. I stopped using links as proof for expert opinions a long time ago. You can counter any link with a counter-link until everyone is just arguing with themselves.

Enjoy your mass media binge! With zombies like that, nobody needs to worry about a revolution.

Data is verifiable, which is the fundamental distinction between the links you choose to visit and the ones others shove in your face for you to blindly accept. When another user posts a link as a rebuttal, they often haven't even read past the headline; in fact, the article seems to be forty percent recycled introduction from the previous one, making it little more than a cheap attempt at a counter-argument by someone who hasn't bothered to read what the other person actually wrote. But, naturally, no one is forcing you to read anything. It is entirely your choice. 👍

swiftjackal11 said:Russian fans can stick to the rubles, I'll take my dollars

You really think these Russian supporters are actually sitting on piles of rubles like it's some kind of treasure, huh?

rowdymaker17 said:Data is verifiable, which is the fundamental distinction between the links you choose to visit and the ones others shove in your face for you to blindly accept. When another user posts a link as a rebuttal, they often haven't even read past the headline; in fact, the article seems to be forty percent recycled introduction from the previous one, making it little more than a cheap attempt at a counter-argument by someone who hasn't bothered to read what the other person actually wrote. But, naturally, no one is forcing you to read anything. It is entirely your choice. 👍

Look, there are valid arguments on both sides: sanctions are hitting Russia, but they're also successfully pushing back—meaning they've spent the last few years bracing for the impact and pivoting. I think both points are true at the same time.

What isn't true are those extreme takes that go viral online because people love an easy target. Specifically:
- Russia is collapsing under the weight of sanctions!
- Russia is completely immune to sanctions!

From what I've gathered so far, the sanctions are definitely having an effect, but how much damage they'll actually do in the long run? We won't know until we see it. Until then, it’s all just guesswork.

If those sanctions weren't actually working, they wouldn't be whining constantly and begging to have them lifted since back in 2014, let alone now. You’ve gotta be a total troll, a paid shill, or just straight-up unhinged to act like Russia's impact isn't obvious—or maybe you're just spreading that line on purpose.

gentlerider7 said:You really think these Russian supporters are actually sitting on piles of rubles like it's some kind of treasure, huh?

I honestly hope their bosses are former KGB agents. It would be eye-opening for them to see what happens when dictators actually call the shots.

Melissa Rivera5 said:If those sanctions weren't actually working, they wouldn't be whining constantly and begging to have them lifted since back in 2014, let alone now. You’ve gotta be a total troll, a paid shill, or just straight-up unhinged to act like Russia's impact isn't obvious—or maybe you're just spreading that line on purpose.

It’s hilarious, really... on one hand, they’re out there shouting from the rooftops about how they’re "stronger than ever" despite the sanctions and how everything is opening up "new opportunities," but then you turn around and hear all that pathetic sobbing about "hybrid warfare being used by all means," and it becomes pretty damn clear that they aren't feeling nearly as untouchable as they claim to be.

Melissa Rivera5 said:If those sanctions weren't actually working, they wouldn't be whining constantly and begging to have them lifted since back in 2014, let alone now. You’ve gotta be a total troll, a paid shill, or just straight-up unhinged to act like Russia's impact isn't obvious—or maybe you're just spreading that line on purpose.

They claim the ruble is "stronger," yet they're begging to scrap the sanctions. It's like saying your car is great while you're actively trying to drain the gas tank.😁

Melissa Rivera5 said:If those sanctions weren't actually working, they wouldn't be whining constantly and begging to have them lifted since back in 2014, let alone now. You’ve gotta be a total troll, a paid shill, or just straight-up unhinged to act like Russia's impact isn't obvious—or maybe you're just spreading that line on purpose.

Who exactly said sanctions aren't working?

analogbear5 said:Look, there are valid arguments on both sides: sanctions are hitting Russia, but they're also successfully pushing back—meaning they've spent the last few years bracing for the impact and pivoting. I think both points are true at the same time.

What isn't true are those extreme takes that go viral online because people love an easy target. Specifically:
- Russia is collapsing under the weight of sanctions!
- Russia is completely immune to sanctions!

From what I've gathered so far, the sanctions are definitely having an effect, but how much damage they'll actually do in the long run? We won't know until we see it. Until then, it’s all just guesswork.

Honestly, it feels like you can't trust anyone's word anymore these days...

Just a few posts back, I mentioned India (citing the BBC). According to the latest from Bloomberg, Indians are being labeled as even more "greedy" than before...

India in Talks to Increase Russian Oil Imports from Rosneft
India has bought more than 40 million barrels of Russian oil between late-February and early-May, which comes to about 20% more than flows for all of 2021, according to Bloomberg calculations based on trade data. Russian oil arrivals into India for May were at 740,000 barrels a day, up from 284,000 barrels in April and 34,000 barrels a year earlier, according to data from Kpler.

Although India’s purchases of Russian crude aren’t illegal or in breach of any sanctions, the country has come under pressure from the Biden administration and EU to stop doing business with Moscow in order to cut off Kremlin’s access to oil revenue and funds. The Asian nation has reiterated that its volume of Russian imports are minuscule as compared to Europe’s purchases, and just a tiny fraction of the country’s total consumption.

Discounted Russian oil has provided some relief to India -- which imports more than 85% of its oil -- just as inflation skyrockets alongside surging prices of everything from food to fuel. The access to cheap crude is already boosting India’s oil imports, which grew almost 16% in April from last year. The share of oil from the Eurasian region, which includes Russia, expanded to 10.6% in April versus 3.3% a year earlier, according to oil ministry data.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/india-in...neft-1.1774979

brightheron64 said:I suppose everyone just finds their own way to get by...

India wasn't actually importing much Russian oil back in 2021—only about 2%, which comes out to roughly 12 million barrels for the whole year—while about half of their supply was coming from the Middle East. However, looking at just the second quarter of this year, they’ve already locked in 26 million barrels because Russia is offering them oil at $30 below the market rate (and word on the street is it might even be cheaper than that, though nobody wants to speak up publicly about it)...

The Americans aren't exactly thrilled about the situation, but they aren't making too much noise either, mostly because there's this lingering fear that if they push too hard, India might end up turning toward Iran instead...

That’s all well and good, but do you realize how massive 26 million barrels actually is? That equates to roughly 1 million tons.
India imports about 230-240 million tons annually, with 80% sourced from the Middle East.
The real issue is how much of that Middle Eastern oil India can actually substitute, since the blends aren't identical. Refineries don't operate like a simple "press button" system where you can instantly swap Malaysian, Arabian, Iranian, Russian, American, Canadian, Nigerian, Venezuelan, or Kazakh crude.

brightheron64 said:Honestly, it feels like you can't trust anyone's word anymore these days...

Just a few posts back, I mentioned India (citing the BBC). According to the latest from Bloomberg, Indians are being labeled as even more "greedy" than before...

India in Talks to Increase Russian Oil Imports from Rosneft
India has bought more than 40 million barrels of Russian oil between late-February and early-May, which comes to about 20% more than flows for all of 2021, according to Bloomberg calculations based on trade data. Russian oil arrivals into India for May were at 740,000 barrels a day, up from 284,000 barrels in April and 34,000 barrels a year earlier, according to data from Kpler.

Although India’s purchases of Russian crude aren’t illegal or in breach of any sanctions, the country has come under pressure from the Biden administration and EU to stop doing business with Moscow in order to cut off Kremlin’s access to oil revenue and funds. The Asian nation has reiterated that its volume of Russian imports are minuscule as compared to Europe’s purchases, and just a tiny fraction of the country’s total consumption.

Discounted Russian oil has provided some relief to India -- which imports more than 85% of its oil -- just as inflation skyrockets alongside surging prices of everything from food to fuel. The access to cheap crude is already boosting India’s oil imports, which grew almost 16% in April from last year. The share of oil from the Eurasian region, which includes Russia, expanded to 10.6% in April versus 3.3% a year earlier, according to oil ministry data.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/india-in...neft-1.1774979

We're basically chasing simulacra and simulation here. There’s a massive gap between the wars (and those economic sanctions) we see through the selective lens of the media and what's actually happening. A simulacrum ends up feeling more real than reality itself, constantly shifting—Baudrillard style.

George Robinson43 said:That’s all well and good, but do you realize how massive 26 million barrels actually is? That equates to roughly 1 million tons.
India imports about 230-240 million tons annually, with 80% sourced from the Middle East.
The real issue is how much of that Middle Eastern oil India can actually substitute, since the blends aren't identical. Refineries don't operate like a simple "press button" system where you can instantly swap Malaysian, Arabian, Iranian, Russian, American, Canadian, Nigerian, Venezuelan, or Kazakh crude.

I wonder if one of us two has stumbled on a math error somewhere?

Since a single barrel of oil is 159 liters, and the specific gravity usually sits between 0.82 and 0.94 depending on the grade, we could easily round a barrel to about 130 kg, couldn't we?

So, 26,000,000 x 130 / 1,000 equals 3,380,000—let's just call it 3 million tons to keep things simple.

But honestly, the more significant point is how much their imports spiked in May, hitting 740,000 barrels per day, which is nearly 100,000 tons daily. That means if they're selling at $70 USD, about $50 million is essentially "flowing" from India to Russia every single day, totaling $1.5 billion every month... 😲

At the end of the day, in this era of sanctions, Indians have more than tripled their Russian oil imports (it's currently at 10.6%) and the trend looks like it's still climbing...

Based on the US plan, Venezuela might actually step in to replace Russia as an oil supplier for Europe.
I wonder what the quality of their crude looks like for European refineries?

Does Venezuela have gas too? 🤔

These Russians are absolute amateurs when it comes to business. If everyone is supposedly so dependent on what they're selling, why on earth were they selling it so cheap? 🤷

Terry Green3 said:Based on the US plan, Venezuela might actually step in to replace Russia as an oil supplier for Europe.
I wonder what the quality of their crude looks like for European refineries?

Does Venezuela have gas too? 🤔

Doesn't really matter, honestly. They had to cut back on production because they haven't maintained anything and their equipment is just falling apart. Plus, they're even more corrupt than the Russians; they basically let the whole country—and all their gear—just crumble, even though they have the largest proven reserves out there.

Terry Green3 said:Based on the US plan, Venezuela might actually step in to replace Russia as an oil supplier for Europe.
I wonder what the quality of their crude looks like for European refineries?

Does Venezuela have gas too? 🤔

They do.
But we also have to deal with the reality of sanctions, which haven't really been lifted just yet:

US moves to ease a few economic sanctions on Venezuela

Venezuela: The limited changes will allow Chevron Corp to negotiate its licence with the state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), but not to drill or export any petroleum of Venezuelan origin, two senior US government officials told The Associated Press late Monday. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the formal announcement had not been made.
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/20...s-on-venezuela

swiftjackal11 said:These Russians are absolute amateurs when it comes to business. If everyone is supposedly so dependent on what they're selling, why on earth were they selling it so cheap? 🤷

Forget about them being amateurs for a second; the real catch is that everyone else has hiked up their oil prices.

The Saudis have announced there should be enough oil to replace what comes from Russia, but I can't imagine anyone is looking to drop their prices anytime soon.
Just look at the landscape—opportunity is everywhere. You've got three major oil giants—Russia, Iran, and Venezuela—all under embargoes, Syria is still caught in war, and Libya has seen its production slashed in half... Why would anyone be foolish enough to just give away oil for next to nothing?