Sanctions on Russia

wiredseal7 said:Maybe those supplies don't even exist in Russia.

https://twitter.com/VeraVanHorne/sta...zetjHCUOnbK10Q
Putin announced readiness to hand over 300,000 tons of Russian fertilizers that piled up in EU seaports due to sanctions to developing countries for free.

Does anyone actually know if this is legit, or where these "blocked" Russian fertilizer stockpiles are supposedly sitting in European ports?

Another possibility—and I mean, really consider this—is they just don't have enough ships to get it to those developing countries.
Plus, there's the assumption that the EU wants that fertilizer for itself since their own chemical plants are basically idling because gas prices are through the roof.

Then you've got word that Germany, in a move straight out of a communist playbook, has potentially already moved to expropriate Rosneft's refineries there.
As a comeback, the Russians have reportedly threatened to shut down the Druzba pipeline:
https://twitter.com/jaccocharite/sta...zetjHCUOnbK10Q
Well, looks like the Prussians just can't help themselves.

With the sanctions firmly in place, Russian oil imports have already ceased, but let’s be honest: even if those sanctions didn't exist, Rosneft would have likely pulled the plug on supplying the refinery regardless. Given that reality, wasn't the only logical course of action to simply step in and take temporary control of the refinery ourselves?

wiredseal7 said:It's all about those ports in the European Union—just how they're being handled.

The President of the United States is just playing games now—it’s like watching a tired magician try one last cheap trick to distract from how empty the hat really is.
Vladimir Putin told Secretary-General Guterres that there’s about 300,000 tonnes of Russian fertilizer just sitting around in ports across the US—and apparently, they're willing to hand it over to developing nations for nothing.

When Putin talks about "European ports," he’s clearly not just talking about some random docks—he’s aiming straight at the European Union, regardless of how you try to spin it.

It feels like the EU is just sitting on those fertilizer reserves as a rainy-day fund they can grab whenever they feel like it—so it would be "unfortunate" if they didn't make it to Africa. Vladimir Putin basically caught them red-handed; he’s calling out their hypocrisy in front of the rest of the world while they try to point the finger at Russia for the shortages.
It’s the same old story—they blamed Russia for the grain shortages, only to watch it all get diverted from the starving nations and sold off at a premium to the European Union instead.

If they shut down Druzba, the only ones actually "winning" will be the Canadians—as long as they keep tightening the screws.
Karma’s a bitch—it always comes back around eventually.
Self-sanctioning against Russia is always a joke—watching how cutting off their supply lines ends up hitting our own budget just as hard is nothing new.

The fuel from Belarus flows right through Poland—if that shuts down, Canada isn't going to be left hanging without gas.

It’s not all doom and gloom for developing nations—coal exports in Tanzania just saw a massive spike.
Wheat prices are jumping again—it’s just one more thing hitting the grocery budget while everyone stares at the headlines. It feels like we're just watching a slow-motion train wreck with global supply chains.
They're switching back to coal—get ready for some serious smog over the US this winter...

The European Union is set to export some 38 million tons of wheat this year—a figure that sits right alongside Russia’s output. So, how am I supposed to swallow this tired narrative that the EU is somehow stealing or buying up Ukrainian grain because we're facing a shortage here? It is utterly absurd to suggest we are desperate for supplies when the EU is simultaneously footing the bill for Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in financial aid. Honestly, is it not laughable?

Anthony Hill5 said:With the sanctions firmly in place, Russian oil imports have already ceased, but let’s be honest: even if those sanctions didn't exist, Rosneft would have likely pulled the plug on supplying the refinery regardless. Given that reality, wasn't the only logical course of action to simply step in and take temporary control of the refinery ourselves?

The European Union is set to export some 38 million tons of wheat this year—a figure that sits right alongside Russia’s output. So, how am I supposed to swallow this tired narrative that the EU is somehow stealing or buying up Ukrainian grain because we're facing a shortage here? It is utterly absurd to suggest we are desperate for supplies when the EU is simultaneously footing the bill for Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in financial aid. Honestly, is it not laughable?

So, about that Durum wheat coming out of Ukraine... people keep saying it doesn't grow well here in the States. It makes you wonder, though—does the European Union actually need that specific wheat, especially since they’re busy exporting their own stuff anyway?
Durum wheat. It’s one of those things you don't really think about until you're staring at a box of pasta wondering why the texture feels different, right? But there's actually a lot going on under the hood with this grain. It’s hardier than your average wheat, which I guess makes sense—nature doesn't make stuff easy for nothing. It grows well in these semi-arid spots, much like parts of the American West or the Great Plains. It needs that specific kind of environment to really thrive. And honestly, when you look at how it's used, it's almost all about that structural integrity. You can't make high-quality semolina without it. Without the protein content in durum, your pasta would just be a mushy mess. Not exactly the gourmet experience we're looking for. I was reading some stuff earlier about global supply chains—you know, how everything is connected—and it’s wild how much a single crop type can swing the needle on food security. If something happens to the major producers, suddenly everyone is feeling the pinch at the grocery store. It's all very interconnected. Anyway, just a random thought while I was thinking about dinner. Just something interesting to chew on.

Just sitting here, reading through all this... it's something else.

Durum wheat is honestly one of the toughest grains out there to deal with. When people talk about its "hardness," they’re really talking about how the grain resists being milled—specifically when it comes to that starchy endosperm. Because of that, the flour you get from it ends up being pretty weak or "soft." It makes durum amazing for making semolina or pasta, but if you're trying to bake bread, it's a total pain. You have to work way harder with it compared to standard hexaploid wheats, like your typical bread wheat. Even though it packs a huge punch in terms of protein content, don't let that fool you—durum isn't actually a "strong" wheat when it comes to building that gluten network needed to give dough structure. Interestingly enough, durum has about 27% extractable wet gluten, which is only about 3% more than what you'd find in common bread wheat (T. aestivum L.). Just a little bit higher, but it doesn't change the fundamental struggle of working with it.👋I don't really know what to make of this one. It looks like a random string of characters or maybe just some broken link that doesn't lead anywhere. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to wrap my head around what the point even is here. Is it a typo? A glitch? I'm just sitting here staring at it, trying to find some sort of pattern, but nothing is jumping out at me. Just feels a bit lost in the shuffle.

I was just reading up on this, and it looks like Kazakhstan is also a great spot for growing Durum wheat. I've been trying to dig around for some actual numbers, though—I can't seem to find any solid data on exactly how much Durum wheat the European Union produces.

electricsurfer47 said:So, about that Durum wheat coming out of Ukraine... people keep saying it doesn't grow well here in the States. It makes you wonder, though—does the European Union actually need that specific wheat, especially since they’re busy exporting their own stuff anyway?
Durum wheat. It’s one of those things you don't really think about until you're staring at a box of pasta wondering why the texture feels different, right? But there's actually a lot going on under the hood with this grain. It’s hardier than your average wheat, which I guess makes sense—nature doesn't make stuff easy for nothing. It grows well in these semi-arid spots, much like parts of the American West or the Great Plains. It needs that specific kind of environment to really thrive. And honestly, when you look at how it's used, it's almost all about that structural integrity. You can't make high-quality semolina without it. Without the protein content in durum, your pasta would just be a mushy mess. Not exactly the gourmet experience we're looking for. I was reading some stuff earlier about global supply chains—you know, how everything is connected—and it’s wild how much a single crop type can swing the needle on food security. If something happens to the major producers, suddenly everyone is feeling the pinch at the grocery store. It's all very interconnected. Anyway, just a random thought while I was thinking about dinner. Just something interesting to chew on.

Just sitting here, reading through all this... it's something else.

Durum wheat is honestly one of the toughest grains out there to deal with. When people talk about its "hardness," they’re really talking about how the grain resists being milled—specifically when it comes to that starchy endosperm. Because of that, the flour you get from it ends up being pretty weak or "soft." It makes durum amazing for making semolina or pasta, but if you're trying to bake bread, it's a total pain. You have to work way harder with it compared to standard hexaploid wheats, like your typical bread wheat. Even though it packs a huge punch in terms of protein content, don't let that fool you—durum isn't actually a "strong" wheat when it comes to building that gluten network needed to give dough structure. Interestingly enough, durum has about 27% extractable wet gluten, which is only about 3% more than what you'd find in common bread wheat (T. aestivum L.). Just a little bit higher, but it doesn't change the fundamental struggle of working with it.👋I don't really know what to make of this one. It looks like a random string of characters or maybe just some broken link that doesn't lead anywhere. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to wrap my head around what the point even is here. Is it a typo? A glitch? I'm just sitting here staring at it, trying to find some sort of pattern, but nothing is jumping out at me. Just feels a bit lost in the shuffle.

I was just reading up on this, and it looks like Kazakhstan is also a great spot for growing Durum wheat. I've been trying to dig around for some actual numbers, though—I can't seem to find any solid data on exactly how much Durum wheat the European Union produces.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/...fig3_322856138

Based on this, the biggest exporters are Canada and the EU. Ukraine and Russia don't even seem to be major players, unless things have shifted drastically over the last five or six years.

coastalbison6 said:Even Lada production has ground to a halt 👍
View on twitter

For heaven's sake, are we simply going to freeze to death without Russian gas, or will we be forced to walk everywhere? How on earth are we supposed to manage without our Chevrolets? Have we not effectively shot ourselves in the foot?

It seems the sovereignists following Orban are on this very same path, though they hardly seem so sovereign when they find themselves begging the European Union for funds.

Quote : US Secretary of State said on Tuesday the US should not consider new sanctions against Russia as that would only deepen the energy supply crisis and hurt the US.

"The EU should ... stop mentioning an 8th package of sanctions, should stop flagging measures that would only further deepen the energy supply crisis," Peter Szijjarto said in his statement.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ia-2022-09-20/

Anthony Hill5 said:With the sanctions firmly in place, Russian oil imports have already ceased, but let’s be honest: even if those sanctions didn't exist, Rosneft would have likely pulled the plug on supplying the refinery regardless. Given that reality, wasn't the only logical course of action to simply step in and take temporary control of the refinery ourselves?

The European Union is set to export some 38 million tons of wheat this year—a figure that sits right alongside Russia’s output. So, how am I supposed to swallow this tired narrative that the EU is somehow stealing or buying up Ukrainian grain because we're facing a shortage here? It is utterly absurd to suggest we are desperate for supplies when the EU is simultaneously footing the bill for Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in financial aid. Honestly, is it not laughable?

Not yet—that doesn't kick in until December. And I wasn't talking about Canada.

bluemason3 said:https://www.researchgate.net/figure/...fig3_322856138

Based on this, the biggest exporters are Canada and the EU. Ukraine and Russia don't even seem to be major players, unless things have shifted drastically over the last five or six years.

In the years leading up to the war, both Russia and Ukraine were among the top exporters—if not the absolute biggest players.

wiredseal7 said:Not yet—that doesn't kick in until December. And I wasn't talking about Canada.

In the years leading up to the war, both Russia and Ukraine were among the top exporters—if not the absolute biggest players.

It's nowhere near those 2021 numbers.

https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/com...product/100110

wiredseal7 said:Not yet—that doesn't kick in until December. And I wasn't talking about Canada.

In the years leading up to the war, both Russia and Ukraine were among the top exporters—if not the absolute biggest players.

The segment regarding Canada was entirely separate from the discussion about the seizure of the refinery in Germany.

As for this whole business with the German seizure, isn't it obvious that this is all just groundwork for the embargo on Russian oil? This embargo will be legally binding starting January 1st, 2023, just as you previously noted, because the Germans—in coordination with Poland—plan to route non-Russian oil through Gdansk via the Druzhba pipeline. The core issue was that the Poles were refusing to pump non-Russian crude into a Russian refinery, so this seizure effectively resolves that specific complication, does it not?

Turkish banks have halted all operations involving Russia's Visa system following stern warnings from the US that anyone facilitating the circumvention of sanctions will face severe penalties.

Bloomberg reported Monday Turkey two of Turkey’s largest banks have suspended their acceptance of Russia’s Visa payments system after U.S. warnings of punishment for sanctions evasion

JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, along with a Turkish unit of Emirates NBD, have officially suspended all transactions processed through Russia's Visa system.

The U.S. Treasury warned banks outside the United States last week that dealing with Visa would “risk supporting Russia's efforts to evade U.S. sanctions.”

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/...-system-a78837

In the meantime, how can one not observe the absolute collapse of the Russian markets as they brace for announcements regarding annexation referendums and the potential for a full-scale military mobilization?

US stocks crash on signs Biden May escalate Ukraine War with military mobilization and Ukraine annexation

The dollar-denominated NYSE stock index tumbled 8.7% to hit its lowest point since August 16, while the other major index sank by 9.2%

https://markets.businessinsider.com/...rritory-2022-9

Anthony Hill5 said:Turkish banks have halted all operations involving Russia's Visa system following stern warnings from the US that anyone facilitating the circumvention of sanctions will face severe penalties.

Bloomberg reported Monday Turkey two of Turkey’s largest banks have suspended their acceptance of Russia’s Visa payments system after U.S. warnings of punishment for sanctions evasion

JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, along with a Turkish unit of Emirates NBD, have officially suspended all transactions processed through Russia's Visa system.

The U.S. Treasury warned banks outside the United States last week that dealing with Visa would “risk supporting Russia's efforts to evade U.S. sanctions.”

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/...-system-a78837

In the meantime, how can one not observe the absolute collapse of the Russian markets as they brace for announcements regarding annexation referendums and the potential for a full-scale military mobilization?

US stocks crash on signs Biden May escalate Ukraine War with military mobilization and Ukraine annexation

The dollar-denominated NYSE stock index tumbled 8.7% to hit its lowest point since August 16, while the other major index sank by 9.2%

https://markets.businessinsider.com/...rritory-2022-9

It really looks like even in Armenia they aren't doing it anymore either!
https://twitter.com/lilygrutcher/sta...93844758482945

Plus, from what I can see, it looks like these countries bordering Russia are starting to tighten up their rules for opening foreign accounts, which was basically how Russians were getting access to Visa and stuff like that.
https://kapitalbank-uz.translate.goo...en&_x_tr_hl=hr

It looks like banks across Turkey and Armenia have finally stopped accepting Visa cards. And honestly, it seems like they’re slowly joining the ranks of banks in Kazakhstan and Vietnam too
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rfe.../32044430.html
I mean, let's be real here—Visa will probably end up being useful only within Russia and Belarus, or maybe in those countries that are already pretty much isolated by default, like Cuba or North Korea. For everything else, Americans are just going to cut it off at the root. Even in those places, though, using Visa is going to be a massive headache because the Russians can't even get their hands on enough chips to actually make the cards

Russian pilots looking to snag those FAA certifications aren't going to be able to head over to Turkey for training anymore
(Sorry if this has already been posted somewhere else!)
https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/3..._medium=social

Flight tickets out of Russia have been selling out like crazy after Vladimir Putin ordered an emergency mobilization of 300,000 reservists, according to Reuters.

Defense Secretary Sergei Shoigu claims this call-up will only target people with prior military experience, supposedly leaving students and those who already did their service out of the mix.

But honestly? Google Trends tells a different story, showing a massive spike in searches on Expedia, which is basically the go-to site for booking flights over there.

Direct flights from Moscow to Istanbul, Turkey, and Yerevan, Armenia—both spots where you don't need a visa—were completely booked up by Wednesday, per Expedia data.

Even some connecting routes, like the ones running from Moscow to Tbilisi, were totally unavailable.

The cheapest flights from Moscow to Dubai were hitting upwards of $3,300 ($12), which is way more than what the average person makes in a month in Russia.

The wealthy are making their exits, and they certainly won't be picking up rifles to fight...

Desperate Russians touch down in Mexico City: 'We're terrified, Putin is a killer'; Vučić insists: 'He isn't bluffing!'

They are fleeing to Mexico, a nation where support for Putin is openly displayed...

Jeremy Turner9 said:The wealthy are making their exits, and they certainly won't be picking up rifles to fight...

Desperate Russians touch down in Mexico City: 'We're terrified, Putin is a killer'; Vučić insists: 'He isn't bluffing!'

They are fleeing to Mexico, a nation where support for Putin is openly displayed...

Man, just run with it—where else are you gonna go? It’s not like they have a massive list of destinations to pick from anyway.

A few days ago, Ursula von der Leyen claimed we aren't importing oil or gas from dictatorships anymore. Does that mean the US is just going to run out of fuel entirely? Since about 90% of the countries supplying our oil and gas are ruled by dictatorships, how does that math even work? ☕

rowdyraven112 said:A few days ago, Ursula von der Leyen claimed we aren't importing oil or gas from dictatorships anymore. Does that mean the US is just going to run out of fuel entirely? Since about 90% of the countries supplying our oil and gas are ruled by dictatorships, how does that math even work? ☕

You really love looking for a fight in everything, don't you? 😁

rowdyraven112 said:A few days ago, Ursula von der Leyen claimed we aren't importing oil or gas from dictatorships anymore. Does that mean the US is just going to run out of fuel entirely? Since about 90% of the countries supplying our oil and gas are ruled by dictatorships, how does that math even work? ☕

Nah, right now it just means we aren't touching Russian supply until they finally crush that Russian trash and the regime in The White House... which you seem to be rooting for so damn hard.

Man, give me a break. The West has always been way smarter than you autocrat-worshipping trolls. It's pretty obvious even now that the bureaucrats in DC are infinitely sharper than those little guys running things over in The White House and tiny little Vladik...😁

The Americans really stepped up and handled business here... the UK did their part too, I guess. Honestly, the European Union has been nothing but an embarrassment lately... except for the Poles and a few others who actually seem to have a backbone.

Are Russians fleeing with their rubles in hand?
Can I swap rubles for dollars or euros in Mexico City? If so, what kind of exchange rate am I looking at?
What about those Russians heading to Finland with nothing but rubles... can they actually buy anything with them, or even trade them for euros?
For Russians holding foreign currency accounts back home... how much cash—dollars, euros, whatever—can they actually withdraw from their banks?

...or is everyone just running out of Russia with nothing but a wad of dollar bills stuffed in their socks?

WTI is sitting at $78, while Brent is at $86 (with Urals around $68). I can’t help but wonder what happens when Russia starts shutting off the gas taps during the winter, leading to austerity measures across the European Union and a full-blown recession. It’s like watching a storm gather on the horizon! Personally, I suspect prices could plummet to the $10-$20 range (Urals dropping to $5-$10), which would trigger a total collapse of the Russian budget. 2023 is going to be quite an eventful year over there!