Sanctions on Russia

Every day we see a fresh batch of sanctions being rolled out, with everyone predicting Russia’s total collapse and a regressive slide back a century into the dark ages.
Regardless of the noise, I can't help but feel that once this war eventually winds down, those sanctions will lose their teeth too. Maybe not everything will be lifted overnight, but I suspect the West will gradually loosen its grip until Russia becomes an interesting partner and a viable place for investment again. Sure, they'll face massive hurdles because they really bungled this one—they won't ever hold the same leverage they had before the invasion—but it won't be quite as catastrophic as people suggest.
Unless this spirals into WW3 or some kind of nuclear exchange, I truly believe things will eventually settle into a new equilibrium, mostly because that's simply what works for the West. I'm fairly certain we'd see something like Nord Stream 2 getting back up and running; honestly, it just makes sense for everyone involved.

I'm holding out hope that the West might permanently shift its policy toward self-sufficiency and bolstered military cooperation, though I'm not holding my breath. On the bright side, Russia likely won't have the military capacity to react to anything globally for the next twenty years, but the downside is that such a vacuum might just trigger new conflicts in other volatile regions.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts: if the war stopped right this second and a deal was struck—say, letting Russia keep Crimea and keeping Ukraine out of NATO—what are the odds the West actually maintains these sanctions? How much longer would they hold out, and would we actually stick with more expensive suppliers, or would we quietly pivot back to the cheaper energy options from Russia?

crimsoncyclist71 said:This obsession with Russian grandeur is bordering on fanaticism.
They completely missed the fact that after just 20 days of war, they’re practically begging for a handout—mind you, begging for a damn handout—from the Chinese... 🤦

The absolute state of Putin's Russia. Just pathetic.

Just for context—about 50 years ago, people in China were starving and riding bicycles, while the Russians were actually hitting space.

Paul Anderson7 said:Every day we see a fresh batch of sanctions being rolled out, with everyone predicting Russia’s total collapse and a regressive slide back a century into the dark ages.
Regardless of the noise, I can't help but feel that once this war eventually winds down, those sanctions will lose their teeth too. Maybe not everything will be lifted overnight, but I suspect the West will gradually loosen its grip until Russia becomes an interesting partner and a viable place for investment again. Sure, they'll face massive hurdles because they really bungled this one—they won't ever hold the same leverage they had before the invasion—but it won't be quite as catastrophic as people suggest.
Unless this spirals into WW3 or some kind of nuclear exchange, I truly believe things will eventually settle into a new equilibrium, mostly because that's simply what works for the West. I'm fairly certain we'd see something like Nord Stream 2 getting back up and running; honestly, it just makes sense for everyone involved.

I'm holding out hope that the West might permanently shift its policy toward self-sufficiency and bolstered military cooperation, though I'm not holding my breath. On the bright side, Russia likely won't have the military capacity to react to anything globally for the next twenty years, but the downside is that such a vacuum might just trigger new conflicts in other volatile regions.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts: if the war stopped right this second and a deal was struck—say, letting Russia keep Crimea and keeping Ukraine out of NATO—what are the odds the West actually maintains these sanctions? How much longer would they hold out, and would we actually stick with more expensive suppliers, or would we quietly pivot back to the cheaper energy options from Russia?

The West is definitely going to keep the sanctions going even after the fighting stops. Even if a peace deal happens, I suspect the situation will end up looking a lot like the two Koreas today.
Maybe they'll bend on a few specific details, like certain raw materials that are absolutely essential until a real alternative is found, but I think the process of distancing ourselves from Putin's Russia is pretty much unstoppable.
I mean, who could possibly trust him after all those lies and fascist statements? He's just not the kind of reliable partner the West wants to be doing business with in the 21st century.

Paul Anderson7 said:Every day we see a fresh batch of sanctions being rolled out, with everyone predicting Russia’s total collapse and a regressive slide back a century into the dark ages.
Regardless of the noise, I can't help but feel that once this war eventually winds down, those sanctions will lose their teeth too. Maybe not everything will be lifted overnight, but I suspect the West will gradually loosen its grip until Russia becomes an interesting partner and a viable place for investment again. Sure, they'll face massive hurdles because they really bungled this one—they won't ever hold the same leverage they had before the invasion—but it won't be quite as catastrophic as people suggest.
Unless this spirals into WW3 or some kind of nuclear exchange, I truly believe things will eventually settle into a new equilibrium, mostly because that's simply what works for the West. I'm fairly certain we'd see something like Nord Stream 2 getting back up and running; honestly, it just makes sense for everyone involved.

I'm holding out hope that the West might permanently shift its policy toward self-sufficiency and bolstered military cooperation, though I'm not holding my breath. On the bright side, Russia likely won't have the military capacity to react to anything globally for the next twenty years, but the downside is that such a vacuum might just trigger new conflicts in other volatile regions.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts: if the war stopped right this second and a deal was struck—say, letting Russia keep Crimea and keeping Ukraine out of NATO—what are the odds the West actually maintains these sanctions? How much longer would they hold out, and would we actually stick with more expensive suppliers, or would we quietly pivot back to the cheaper energy options from Russia?

Those sanctions aren't going anywhere for at least 3 to 5 years—maybe even a decade.
It’s possible the gas starts flowing again, but prices will stay higher, and any savings would likely be funneled directly into paying reparations to Ukraine.
In a perfect world scenario:
1. That evil little gnome and his whole crew are gone.
2. They beg Ukraine for forgiveness and pay out war reparations.
3. Russia eventually integrates back into Europe as a democratic nation—though don't hold your breath, probably won't happen for at least another 10 years.

Paul Anderson7 said:Every day we see a fresh batch of sanctions being rolled out, with everyone predicting Russia’s total collapse and a regressive slide back a century into the dark ages.
Regardless of the noise, I can't help but feel that once this war eventually winds down, those sanctions will lose their teeth too. Maybe not everything will be lifted overnight, but I suspect the West will gradually loosen its grip until Russia becomes an interesting partner and a viable place for investment again. Sure, they'll face massive hurdles because they really bungled this one—they won't ever hold the same leverage they had before the invasion—but it won't be quite as catastrophic as people suggest.
Unless this spirals into WW3 or some kind of nuclear exchange, I truly believe things will eventually settle into a new equilibrium, mostly because that's simply what works for the West. I'm fairly certain we'd see something like Nord Stream 2 getting back up and running; honestly, it just makes sense for everyone involved.

I'm holding out hope that the West might permanently shift its policy toward self-sufficiency and bolstered military cooperation, though I'm not holding my breath. On the bright side, Russia likely won't have the military capacity to react to anything globally for the next twenty years, but the downside is that such a vacuum might just trigger new conflicts in other volatile regions.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts: if the war stopped right this second and a deal was struck—say, letting Russia keep Crimea and keeping Ukraine out of NATO—what are the odds the West actually maintains these sanctions? How much longer would they hold out, and would we actually stick with more expensive suppliers, or would we quietly pivot back to the cheaper energy options from Russia?

Of course they won't last forever, and naturally, they'll be phased out over time... unless Russia decides to go full North Korea mode, but honestly, I think that's basically impossible and the Russians themselves would never let that happen..

What *is* likely to change significantly is the long-term energy policy within the European Union, along with a bunch of other stuff. China could easily feel the ripple effects there since they rely so heavily on Western greed and our consumption habits. Also, if Germany stays the course, we're looking at a total shift in the global military paradigm and the balance of power in the world—especially in the EU—within the next 5 to 10 years. The US and plenty of other countries have been saying for a long time that if Germany actually wanted to use that industrial muscle of theirs, they could become a top-tier global military power in about a decade. Just how far Germany actually goes is anyone's guess, but one thing is certain: things are going to change.

Sanctions aren't eternal, and they shouldn't be... if a truce is called and some kind of compromise is reached, they'll definitely start lifting them. But regardless of how this all plays out, the fallout for Russia is going to be huge.

Brenda Murphy3 said:Seriously, what the hell is even the point of what you're saying? Aside from that bolded part—which I already called out—you're missing the forest for the trees. Nobody cares about this stuff "just" because of the financial hit from sanctions. It’s always tied to how people actually interpret Putin's moves. And that bolded section right there? That’s exactly my point. You’re basically trying to justify what the Russians are doing by dragging Yeltsin into the mix, which is complete nonsense. Nobody is out here plotting against Russia; they're targeting Ukraine. And let's be clear: Ukraine isn't Russia.

Look, you can take the stance that Russia has every right to act the way it is because they feel "threatened" by Ukraine moving toward the West and NATO—which, let's be honest, is clearly how you see it. Or, you can take the position that Russia has absolutely no right to pull this crap; they can whine all they want about Ukraine, but at the end of the day, it’s a sovereign, independent nation. That second view is what the vast majority of people in the European Union and across America actually believe. Besides, if you're so obsessed with nothing but the interests of America, you can just sit back and relax—we've got plenty of grain to handle our exports anyway. 😁 I mean, I’m being dead serious here. We’re cranking out about 50% more than we actually need. It's just pure overkill.
Let’s be real for a second—the vast majority of people actually back these sanctions against Russia. There's also a massive chunk of the population that fully supports our membership in both the European Union and NATO. Honestly, nobody sees an issue with us sticking to a unified policy when it comes to dealing with Russia.
And yeah—we *are* independent. Look, you could technically organize an exit from the European Union tomorrow if you actually had enough citizens backing you up, but newsflash: you don't. You simply don't have the support.
Honestly, the whole thing is just a bunch of empty talk on your part. It’s pretty obvious you’re backing Russia and their aggression—or at the very least, you’re making excuses for them and acting like the West is somehow the one responsible for this mess. Fine, go ahead and believe that if it makes you feel better... we aren't Russia, for God's sake.😁

I don't have much time, but

I am simply defending the right of Russia to defend itself against those who are grabbing it by the throat and trying to choke it—something the Americans and NATO have been doing since the collapse of the USSR.
As for wheat and our supposed "self-sufficiency," that won't change the fact that we might have enough, but certainly not at prices people can actually afford.
The entire Western system is built on profiteering; whoever pays the most gets what they need.
Do you honestly believe these prices are the result of a shortage or scarcity, or are they the result of market manipulation used to dictate "commodity prices"?
Just like they are doing with energy right now, that is exactly how they will handle food.
I don't have much more to argue; just walk down to a gas station or a grocery store and you'll see this profiteering system in action.

Ukraine is just a pawn that will end up paying the highest price in this game of the West encircling itself with the NATO alliance—an alliance that claims to be defensive but isn't afraid to strike if necessary.

The Americans defend their interests thousands of miles away from their own borders rather than at home, where their borders have long been secured and surrounded by their own satellites.

Have you ever actually read American history and seen the way they have expanded their influence globally? From the war with Spain over Cuba and Puerto Rico all the way to Afghanistan.
It’s funny how they never seem to use those empty platitudes about sovereignty or a nation's right to self-determination in those cases.

urbanotter said:I don't have much time, but

I am simply defending the right of Russia to defend itself against those who are grabbing it by the throat and trying to choke it—something the Americans and NATO have been doing since the collapse of the USSR.
As for wheat and our supposed "self-sufficiency," that won't change the fact that we might have enough, but certainly not at prices people can actually afford.
The entire Western system is built on profiteering; whoever pays the most gets what they need.
Do you honestly believe these prices are the result of a shortage or scarcity, or are they the result of market manipulation used to dictate "commodity prices"?
Just like they are doing with energy right now, that is exactly how they will handle food.
I don't have much more to argue; just walk down to a gas station or a grocery store and you'll see this profiteering system in action.

Ukraine is just a pawn that will end up paying the highest price in this game of the West encircling itself with the NATO alliance—an alliance that claims to be defensive but isn't afraid to strike if necessary.

The Americans defend their interests thousands of miles away from their own borders rather than at home, where their borders have long been secured and surrounded by their own satellites.

Have you ever actually read American history and seen the way they have expanded their influence globally? From the war with Spain over Cuba and Puerto Rico all the way to Afghanistan.
It’s funny how they never seem to use those empty platitudes about sovereignty or a nation's right to self-determination in those cases.

Aggression against another nation isn't defense.
It never was, and it never will be.
Russia will find itself sent back to the Stone Age.
By right.

crimsoncyclist71 said:Aggression against another nation isn't defense.
It never was, and it never will be.
Russia will find itself sent back to the Stone Age.
By right.

So, if I were to grab you by the throat and start choking you, and you fought back,
you wouldn't call that defense—it would just be aggression.
Please, spare me those tired old clichés; they lost their impact a long time ago.

Paul Anderson7 said:Every day we see a fresh batch of sanctions being rolled out, with everyone predicting Russia’s total collapse and a regressive slide back a century into the dark ages.
Regardless of the noise, I can't help but feel that once this war eventually winds down, those sanctions will lose their teeth too. Maybe not everything will be lifted overnight, but I suspect the West will gradually loosen its grip until Russia becomes an interesting partner and a viable place for investment again. Sure, they'll face massive hurdles because they really bungled this one—they won't ever hold the same leverage they had before the invasion—but it won't be quite as catastrophic as people suggest.
Unless this spirals into WW3 or some kind of nuclear exchange, I truly believe things will eventually settle into a new equilibrium, mostly because that's simply what works for the West. I'm fairly certain we'd see something like Nord Stream 2 getting back up and running; honestly, it just makes sense for everyone involved.

I'm holding out hope that the West might permanently shift its policy toward self-sufficiency and bolstered military cooperation, though I'm not holding my breath. On the bright side, Russia likely won't have the military capacity to react to anything globally for the next twenty years, but the downside is that such a vacuum might just trigger new conflicts in other volatile regions.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts: if the war stopped right this second and a deal was struck—say, letting Russia keep Crimea and keeping Ukraine out of NATO—what are the odds the West actually maintains these sanctions? How much longer would they hold out, and would we actually stick with more expensive suppliers, or would we quietly pivot back to the cheaper energy options from Russia?

The sanctions aren't going anywhere until the regime falls... I mean, come on, Russia basically hijacked 500 planes yesterday; that's roughly $10 billion wiped off the books for Western leasing companies. You aren't lifting sanctions until that gear is returned (and that's just picking one tiny slice of the problem).

And let's be real—Russia (whether it's the current lot or whoever comes next) is definitely going to have to foot the bill for reparations to Ukraine.

urbanotter said:Try saying that to a retiree living on a meager $0.00 pension, or to someone supporting a family on a middle-class salary.

And really, what is this war being fought for?
So that Ukraine wouldn't be "dependent" on Russia, but rather on America and the West.
Or it's fought in the name of these lofty slogans about being a sovereign, independent nation with the right to decide its own destiny.

But the reality is that a country can only truly be independent if it has the weapons to defend itself.
If you can't, you're always dependent on someone else.
We call ourselves independent, yet we can't even move a finger if Brussels doesn't give us the green light.
Just yesterday at a local fishermen's meeting, they were pushing the idea that certain projects can't get off the ground simply because Brussels hasn't approved our management plans yet.

All these imposed sanctions are largely a facade, because the flow of Russian energy imports and exports continues unabated, while things like Coca-Cola or hamburgers are just distractions for fools.
Ukraine has already restricted wheat exports, and Russia will likely follow suit.
And when you consider that Russia accounts for 26% of global wheat exports, there isn't a replacement out there that can fill that gap.
Food—which both Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of—is a more critical strategic resource than fuel. Even though it's hard to produce one without the other, to grow enough food, you absolutely need sufficient energy and vast amounts of farmland.
Then you have the oilseed industry, where Russia and Ukraine are also heavy hitters, followed by a whole list of metals and raw materials that the modern world simply cannot function without.

You don't have to praise Russia, but you can't just ignore it either.
Personally, I couldn't care less about Russia; I would never want to live there, just as I didn't want to live in the West. I just want to live in my own country among my own people.
But you can't just erase Russia from the map if they won't allow Western moguls to come in and strip them bare, the way they did during the era of Yeltsin.

It seems like such a straightforward problem to solve, really; if only Russia would simply cease its military aggression against a sovereign, internationally recognized nation—whether that's coming from the Kremlin or the broader Russian Federation—and just head back home where they belong. I was reading an article about international diplomacy the other day, almost like something you'd see discussed on CNN, and it struck me how much simpler things might be if everyone just respected established borders. It’s one of those situations where the solution feels obvious when you step back and look at the big picture, much like how a complicated puzzle becomes clear once you find that one missing piece.
And of course, we’d be expected to foot the bill for all the war damages they caused.

urbanotter said:So, if I were to grab you by the throat and start choking you, and you fought back,
you wouldn't call that defense—it would just be aggression.
Please, spare me those tired old clichés; they lost their impact a long time ago.

Cut out the Goebbels-style rhetoric about being "grabbed by the throat" or "choked." It’s exhausting for everyone involved. You're just endlessly making excuses for an undemocratic regime that has never hesitated to engage in blatant state terrorism. Who was actually stifling Russia? The West? With the hundreds of billions of dollars they poured directly into the Russian economy? Or maybe through the constant buying of everything Russia had to sell? Honestly, you have to be delusional to try and convince anyone that this was "stifling" a nation. 🤦

So, most people seem convinced that these sanctions are going to stick around for years, even if they eventually scale back on the essential resources the West relies on.
Personally, I’m hoping that’s the case and that we can weaken Russia as much as possible, especially since they pulled off something like this at a time when everyone thought it was impossible.

It would be a real win if there were some significant change in leadership, perhaps allowing us to demand denuclearization from Russia in exchange for lifting sanctions, though I know that’s a massive long shot.
It’s hard to put any trust in Russia, but I honestly wonder how many of their citizens actually grasp what’s happening and how many of them truly support this war. We can look to history for guidance, and looking back, we see plenty of Russian rulers behaving exactly like Putin does, which is why we really need to eliminate that nuclear threat once and for all. Beyond that, you have to wonder how they manage to maintain all of this and what the actual odds are of them causing a nuclear disaster within their own borders that ends up affecting the entire planet.

I realize I’m getting ahead of myself here, as the fighting is still going on and there’s no end in sight, but I can't help but wonder about the long-term implications and how Russia will ever find its way back into the fold of normal global functioning.

urbanotter said:Most bottling plants operate as franchises, which really isn't much of an issue since the production processes and the actual formulas are already well-established.
Honestly, even if they stopped producing it entirely, I don't see it as a loss; if anything, it would probably be a win for the Americans.
I’ve never been a huge Coca-Cola fan myself—I might grab one during the summer, but I generally prefer tonic water.
At 89 years old, standing 6'3" and weighing about 200 pounds, I’m perfectly content with how things are.
I certainly don't feel like I'm missing out by not being a 300-pound die-hard Coke lover, the kind of person who doesn't consider their day a success unless they've polished off a double serving.

Are you really in your nineties?

urbanotter said:I don't have much time, but

I am simply defending the right of Russia to defend itself against those who are grabbing it by the throat and trying to choke it—something the Americans and NATO have been doing since the collapse of the USSR.
As for wheat and our supposed "self-sufficiency," that won't change the fact that we might have enough, but certainly not at prices people can actually afford.
The entire Western system is built on profiteering; whoever pays the most gets what they need.
Do you honestly believe these prices are the result of a shortage or scarcity, or are they the result of market manipulation used to dictate "commodity prices"?
Just like they are doing with energy right now, that is exactly how they will handle food.
I don't have much more to argue; just walk down to a gas station or a grocery store and you'll see this profiteering system in action.

Ukraine is just a pawn that will end up paying the highest price in this game of the West encircling itself with the NATO alliance—an alliance that claims to be defensive but isn't afraid to strike if necessary.

The Americans defend their interests thousands of miles away from their own borders rather than at home, where their borders have long been secured and surrounded by their own satellites.

Have you ever actually read American history and seen the way they have expanded their influence globally? From the war with Spain over Cuba and Puerto Rico all the way to Afghanistan.
It’s funny how they never seem to use those empty platitudes about sovereignty or a nation's right to self-determination in those cases.

Short on time?
So, what do you do for a living? 😉

Paul Anderson7 said:Every day we see a fresh batch of sanctions being rolled out, with everyone predicting Russia’s total collapse and a regressive slide back a century into the dark ages.
Regardless of the noise, I can't help but feel that once this war eventually winds down, those sanctions will lose their teeth too. Maybe not everything will be lifted overnight, but I suspect the West will gradually loosen its grip until Russia becomes an interesting partner and a viable place for investment again. Sure, they'll face massive hurdles because they really bungled this one—they won't ever hold the same leverage they had before the invasion—but it won't be quite as catastrophic as people suggest.
Unless this spirals into WW3 or some kind of nuclear exchange, I truly believe things will eventually settle into a new equilibrium, mostly because that's simply what works for the West. I'm fairly certain we'd see something like Nord Stream 2 getting back up and running; honestly, it just makes sense for everyone involved.

I'm holding out hope that the West might permanently shift its policy toward self-sufficiency and bolstered military cooperation, though I'm not holding my breath. On the bright side, Russia likely won't have the military capacity to react to anything globally for the next twenty years, but the downside is that such a vacuum might just trigger new conflicts in other volatile regions.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts: if the war stopped right this second and a deal was struck—say, letting Russia keep Crimea and keeping Ukraine out of NATO—what are the odds the West actually maintains these sanctions? How much longer would they hold out, and would we actually stick with more expensive suppliers, or would we quietly pivot back to the cheaper energy options from Russia?

I don't think the war can just stop "right this second." I mean, just look at what's happening to Ukrainian cities. That ship sailed once the massive destruction started.
Even if the Russians pulled out of Ukraine entirely—including Crimea and Donbas—I guess the sanctions wouldn't end until Russia is totally brought to its knees and Putin is gone.

The EU will bounce back from the energy hit. Other than that, there aren't really any huge problems. Nothing that isn't solvable or replaceable. It might be a rough couple of years, but after that, things will go back to normal. Today's Europe was built without Russia; actually, it was built in opposition to Russia and the USSR. It’ll stay that way. Western industry is actually revving up like it hasn't since the golden days of the Cold War. So why would they stop now?

Just look at most Western companies that slapped sanctions on Russia even when they didn't have to. From McDonald's to Shell. For them, losing the Russian market is tiny compared to the loss they'd take if people boycotted them back home.
I mean, what does 1% of profit in Russia matter to a massive corporation if losing 10% of their domestic market due to public backlash is on the table?

Russia basically put itself in this spot by leaning so hard into energy and dealing with insane corruption. They made themselves dependent on Western capital, and I guess they're just destroying themselves now that that money is drying up.

urbanotter said:So, if I were to grab you by the throat and start choking you, and you fought back,
you wouldn't call that defense—it would just be aggression.
Please, spare me those tired old clichés; they lost their impact a long time ago.

That is textbook self-defense.

But if you attack me with a baseball bat just because I decided to give my business to the neighbor instead of yours—because you're a typical narcissistic jerk who thinks I'm your little puppet with no agency or choices—then sure, that's aggression. 🙂

It's just like what Putin is doing. 🙂

After spending his whole life pining for the glory days of the USSR and trying to reclaim that superpower status, Gollum surrounded himself with people who share his ideology and publicly denied Ukrainian identity and sovereignty. You’d have to be completely blinded by Russian narratives to believe this is all just about NATO expansion or playing the victim.

The war in Ukraine will end. Sooner or later.
And once the money starts flowing like a flood—straight toward Niagara Falls, essentially—to Ukraine,
Europe is going to enjoy at least a decade of an economic boom that'll make the pre-pandemic era look like a recession.
Meanwhile, Russia will be left standing firmly on the other side of the fence, just watching it happen.

Rachel Jones8 said:Are you really in your nineties?

Short on time?
So, what do you do for a living? 😉

I don't

I've actually got a left-side coronary angiogram scheduled for 1:00 PM today.

It looks like I might need a stent along with some work on the right side.

Or perhaps you think my medical situation isn't a valid excuse for being short on time, and you're wondering why the hell I'm still around, paying into a system just so you can have healthcare and a pension.

China is going to be the big winner in all of this. You'll see Russian companies getting sold off for pennies on the dollar, and probably a whole lot more than that

Honestly, Russia should probably just pray they can avoid another global recession—especially since they’re partially to blame for one. For now, they might manage to scrape by because raw material prices are staying high, and even though they have to sell at a discount, it's still bringing in a decent amount of cash.
Then you have to consider those massive costs from the war and all the sanctions, which are basically swallowing up billions of dollars every single day.
I remember back in 2008 when that huge global financial crisis hit; oil prices plummeted from $150 almost overnight. Suddenly, nobody wanted it, and there was way more supply than anyone actually needed.
If that kind of thing happens again, Russia could easily slide right back into the 1900s or even the 1800s. Plus, with their nuclear arsenal, they become a danger to both themselves and the rest of the world—it feels a lot like the chaos we saw during the collapse of the USSR.

boldotter2 said:I don't think the war can just stop "right this second." I mean, just look at what's happening to Ukrainian cities. That ship sailed once the massive destruction started.
Even if the Russians pulled out of Ukraine entirely—including Crimea and Donbas—I guess the sanctions wouldn't end until Russia is totally brought to its knees and Putin is gone.

The EU will bounce back from the energy hit. Other than that, there aren't really any huge problems. Nothing that isn't solvable or replaceable. It might be a rough couple of years, but after that, things will go back to normal. Today's Europe was built without Russia; actually, it was built in opposition to Russia and the USSR. It’ll stay that way. Western industry is actually revving up like it hasn't since the golden days of the Cold War. So why would they stop now?

Just look at most Western companies that slapped sanctions on Russia even when they didn't have to. From McDonald's to Shell. For them, losing the Russian market is tiny compared to the loss they'd take if people boycotted them back home.
I mean, what does 1% of profit in Russia matter to a massive corporation if losing 10% of their domestic market due to public backlash is on the table?

Russia basically put itself in this spot by leaning so hard into energy and dealing with insane corruption. They made themselves dependent on Western capital, and I guess they're just destroying themselves now that that money is drying up.

European Union trade in goods with China, 2011-2021


Velis, things are heating up. We're looking at a deficit that's grown by 120 billion euros compared to 2011. 😁

According to the report, U.S. universities awarded twice as many doctorates in STEM fields (18,289) as Chinese universities (9,038) in 2000. But by 2007, the order had flipped and China began outpacing U.S. universities. In 2010. Chinese universities graduated 34,801 STEM doctorates compared to 26,076 by American universities.

Over the last decade, China has steadily increased its lead. In 2019, Chinese universities produced 49,498 PhDs in STEM fields, while U.S. universities produced 33,759. Based on current enrollment patterns, the report projects that by 2025 China’s yearly STEM PhD graduates (77,179) will nearly double those in the United States (39,959).

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michael...-of-stem-phds/

U.S. TRADE DEFICIT

the past year’s goods-only deficit with China reached US$355.3 billion, lower only than US$418.2 billion in 2018, the US Department of Commerce reported on Tuesday. A US $859.1 deficit in overall trade, including goods and services, set another record.
The widening deficit follows an effort by former US president Donald Trump to narrow the gap – which he called “unfair” – through tariffs imposed on Chinese imports beginning in 2018.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/arti...ina-gap-widens