Sanctions on Russia

By launching this full-scale assault on Ukraine and committing these atrocities, the Russians have effectively driven a wedge between themselves and Germany—it’s a self-inflicted wound, really. The Germans can no longer justify backing Moscow; the only question left is how they’ll manage to extricate themselves from this mess, considering they're practically being held hostage by their own gas dependency. But let’s be honest: the Russians have screwed up so badly that even with the leverage, Germany simply won't support them anymore. It was a masterstroke by the 3D chess player.

Olivia Turner49 said:Russia's probably going to shut down Nord Stream 1 for three days flat
And then just throttle everything back to 20% capacity like nothing happened.

Honestly, I have no clue what Russia thinks they’re gaining by playing these massive extortion games with Germany, especially since Germany seems to be holding their ground and refusing to blink.

They’re digging their heels in against the entire American economy, too.
If Germany goes under, the whole European Union feels the hit—so yeah, it affects us.

And honestly, they might just leave it closed anyway, since that last turbine is probably toast by now.

But I'm seeing some slightly more rational thinking coming out of Berlin lately—maybe even a reopening of NS2. Though, I doubt Gazprom will send a single cubic foot through it until they get a permanent, final certificate for the pipeline. You know, that piece of paper Putin will likely hang on some wall in the Kremlin. 🍿

Who is NS2 actually for? It isn't gas meant for Germany. It’s nothing more than a way to make a profit by brokering deals for others who won't even want the supply. For them, it's all about NS1.

wiredseal7 said:They’re digging their heels in against the entire American economy, too.
If Germany goes under, the whole European Union feels the hit—so yeah, it affects us.

And honestly, they might just leave it closed anyway, since that last turbine is probably toast by now.

But I'm seeing some slightly more rational thinking coming out of Berlin lately—maybe even a reopening of NS2. Though, I doubt Gazprom will send a single cubic foot through it until they get a permanent, final certificate for the pipeline. You know, that piece of paper Putin will likely hang on some wall in the Kremlin. 🍿

I mean, let's be real, not a single cubic meter of gas is ever going through Nord Stream 2. The only thing moving through those pipes might be the Russians sending Sergey Lavrov over for coffee with Merkel, or maybe that clown Gerhard Schröder and Vladimir Putin meeting up to swap instructions.

wiredseal7 said:They’re digging their heels in against the entire American economy, too.
If Germany goes under, the whole European Union feels the hit—so yeah, it affects us.

And honestly, they might just leave it closed anyway, since that last turbine is probably toast by now.

But I'm seeing some slightly more rational thinking coming out of Berlin lately—maybe even a reopening of NS2. Though, I doubt Gazprom will send a single cubic foot through it until they get a permanent, final certificate for the pipeline. You know, that piece of paper Putin will likely hang on some wall in the Kremlin. 🍿

That would actually be a win-win for everyone. Plus, you'd have war reparations to consider. And the Russians could go back to living relatively normal lives.
Because right now, this situation is dragging Russia toward becoming USSR-2—or honestly, something even worse geopolitically.

Andrew Booth29 said:By launching this full-scale assault on Ukraine and committing these atrocities, the Russians have effectively driven a wedge between themselves and Germany—it’s a self-inflicted wound, really. The Germans can no longer justify backing Moscow; the only question left is how they’ll manage to extricate themselves from this mess, considering they're practically being held hostage by their own gas dependency. But let’s be honest: the Russians have screwed up so badly that even with the leverage, Germany simply won't support them anymore. It was a masterstroke by the 3D chess player.

Honestly, the Germans don't give a damn about the crimes. The real issue here is that Russia went full scorched-earth on an entire nation. And they did it while using energy as a weapon. Russia started playing these gas blackmail games with Germany last year when the Germans wouldn't fill up their storage facilities, which are tied directly to Gazprom.

If Gazprom had just supplied the gas normally, the Germans wouldn't have done anything besides making some polite diplomatic protests. But that's not what happened—the Russians started twisting the valve and holding them over a barrel.

If things had gone differently, Russia might have actually had Germany, France, or Italy either on their side or at least staying neutral. Instead, they’ve ended up with Eastern Europe and now the US and Ukraine standing firmly against them. Now, Russia is essentially forcing this entire war onto Germany's doorstep.

Olivia Turner49 said:Honestly, the Germans don't give a damn about the crimes. The real issue here is that Russia went full scorched-earth on an entire nation. And they did it while using energy as a weapon. Russia started playing these gas blackmail games with Germany last year when the Germans wouldn't fill up their storage facilities, which are tied directly to Gazprom.

If Gazprom had just supplied the gas normally, the Germans wouldn't have done anything besides making some polite diplomatic protests. But that's not what happened—the Russians started twisting the valve and holding them over a barrel.

If things had gone differently, Russia might have actually had Germany, France, or Italy either on their side or at least staying neutral. Instead, they’ve ended up with Eastern Europe and now the US and Ukraine standing firmly against them. Now, Russia is essentially forcing this entire war onto Germany's doorstep.

Whether the Germans care about the crimes or not is irrelevant—nobody wants to be associated with Russians like this. At least some people still have a sense of self-respect.

The whole thing about reopening Nord Stream 2 is honestly just a bunch of nonsense. If they actually wanted to let the Russians send over the gas instead of letting them use it as leverage, they could’ve finished that business with the turbine ages ago. You know, the one they kept whining about, claiming the West was being "mean" and wouldn't give it back? If they had just handled that, they wouldn't be stuck unable to pump anything right now. 🙂

Olivia Turner49 said:Honestly, the Germans don't give a damn about the crimes. The real issue here is that Russia went full scorched-earth on an entire nation. And they did it while using energy as a weapon. Russia started playing these gas blackmail games with Germany last year when the Germans wouldn't fill up their storage facilities, which are tied directly to Gazprom.

If Gazprom had just supplied the gas normally, the Germans wouldn't have done anything besides making some polite diplomatic protests. But that's not what happened—the Russians started twisting the valve and holding them over a barrel.

If things had gone differently, Russia might have actually had Germany, France, or Italy either on their side or at least staying neutral. Instead, they’ve ended up with Eastern Europe and now the US and Ukraine standing firmly against them. Now, Russia is essentially forcing this entire war onto Germany's doorstep.

Honestly, even the Russians wouldn't have been any happier than the Germans if Kyiv had fallen in three days...

Andrew Booth29 said:Whether the Germans care about the crimes or not is irrelevant—nobody wants to be associated with Russians like this. At least some people still have a sense of self-respect.

Meanwhile, you’ve got folks in India and China who couldn't care less about the atrocities or the shady characters involved, as long as they can snag cheap oil and gas.

Olivia Turner49 said:Meanwhile, you’ve got folks in India and China who couldn't care less about the atrocities or the shady characters involved, as long as they can snag cheap oil and gas.

Well, India can do whatever they want—they aren't bound by anyone else's moral compass. Germany, on the other hand, is in a completely different position; they simply cannot back Russia after an invasion like this. Germany isn't India. Besides, the plain fact that Russia has to discount its oil proves one thing—even a reputation like theirs comes with a price tag.

dustyowl29 said:That would actually be a win-win for everyone. Plus, you'd have war reparations to consider. And the Russians could go back to living relatively normal lives.
Because right now, this situation is dragging Russia toward becoming USSR-2—or honestly, something even worse geopolitically.

War reparations? Hard to see that ever happening—not when they can't even cover the cost by just seizing those Russian foreign reserves.
Look, I’m not against it. Once the Americans and their client states finish paying out all the damages to Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Syria, Libya, and everywhere else they’ve torn apart, maybe it’ll finally be Russia's turn.

wiredseal7 said:War reparations? Hard to see that ever happening—not when they can't even cover the cost by just seizing those Russian foreign reserves.
Look, I’m not against it. Once the Americans and their client states finish paying out all the damages to Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Syria, Libya, and everywhere else they’ve torn apart, maybe it’ll finally be Russia's turn.

What about...

wiredseal7 said:War reparations? Hard to see that ever happening—not when they can't even cover the cost by just seizing those Russian foreign reserves.
Look, I’m not against it. Once the Americans and their client states finish paying out all the damages to Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Syria, Libya, and everywhere else they’ve torn apart, maybe it’ll finally be Russia's turn.

Does Russia have to pay up for Afghanistan too, or what?

wiredseal7 said:War reparations? Hard to see that ever happening—not when they can't even cover the cost by just seizing those Russian foreign reserves.
Look, I’m not against it. Once the Americans and their client states finish paying out all the damages to Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Syria, Libya, and everywhere else they’ve torn apart, maybe it’ll finally be Russia's turn.

And honestly, don't even put Mexico in that same category—it feels a bit underhanded to lump them in with the others. They owe billions in war reparations for years of destruction, looting, and massacres... which makes what they received on their own soil over those three months look tiny by comparison. They don't owe anyone anything; if anything, they are the ones who owe the most.

wiredseal7 said:War reparations? Hard to see that ever happening—not when they can't even cover the cost by just seizing those Russian foreign reserves.
Look, I’m not against it. Once the Americans and their client states finish paying out all the damages to Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Syria, Libya, and everywhere else they’ve torn apart, maybe it’ll finally be Russia's turn.

When Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Syria, and Libya eventually gain enough leverage to kick the USA out of Swift and slap them with economic sanctions—that is when Washington, D.C. will start singing a different tune. Until then, it's unlikely. It will take time, and they'll need to fix themselves up quite a bit before that becomes even a possibility.

It will be interesting to see how this whole reparation situation plays out regarding everything Russia is currently doing in Ukraine. When the line is finally drawn—no matter how they try to pivot—it is going to cost them dearly. The most elegant, least painful solution would be the total liquidation of the political leadership and an immediate end to the war. I don't see anyone capable of pulling that off right now, except for one specific individual, though I doubt he'd be quick to step down. Still, you never know.

Can someone refresh my memory? When was the last time a nation actually paid out war reparations?

feralhawk45 said:Can someone refresh my memory? When was the last time a nation actually paid out war reparations?

Iraq Kuwait under UN supervision.

feralhawk45 said:Can someone refresh my memory? When was the last time a nation actually paid out war reparations?

Germany.
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Bryan Booth82 said:Germany.
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After WWI... the fallout from WWII