Sanctions on Russia

Grace Bennett6 said:You need an agreement to keep the borrowing going, and we aren't talking about small interest rates here. That could lead to both sides just writing off the interest; it's really not that complicated...

Too bad I can't open the article, but looking at the headline, gold is headed south, south... or maybe...
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/go...?siteid=yhoof2

The bottom line of the article? Given how things look right now—with a peace treaty still feeling light years away—gold prices probably won't tank. Expect it to just bounce around somewhere between $1,900 and $2,000 an ounce.

wiredseal7 said:I don't know about some parallel universe, but over here—it looks like they skipped right over the opening act (and by that, I mean the snipers).
So, what actually went down before the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014? And since you’re asking about Crimea—what was the deal with the new administration's plan to sign that 50-year lease for the port in Sevastopol?

They weren't exactly in a position to dictate terms back then—it was humiliating, sure, but it kept things from going south completely. If they had just stuck to the part about ending the conflict and getting life back to normal in those areas, we wouldn't be here. Instead, they went and doubled down by mobilizing over a thousand soldiers for an offensive on two separate occasions.
Vladimir Putin probably wants this whole thing wrapped up just so he can bury the hatchet with the European Union—get those remaining sanctions lifted and keep the cash flowing into his pockets.
They didn't really want to greenlight something like that—the Brits were pretty much on the same page—but the European Union should have stepped up, been more assertive, and forced the Ukrainians to just wrap things up over there.

Now instead we’re stuck watching this massive slaughter and the total devastation of eastern Ukraine—honestly, you decide which is better.

There is absolutely no doubt about it: after another 10 or 20 years of the Russian Federation funneling money into Europe and using KGB tactics to tear the continent apart by backing populists, fake news peddlers, and various oligarch types, their ultimate goal will be to swallow the entire former Warsaw Pact zone. Then we’ll see how much fun everyone is having.

We were all so convinced that we should have just let Vladimir Putin go, given him whatever he wanted just to keep him from getting angry. You know, because the more we let him run wild, the better. After all, if only the innocent suffer, it’s probably best not to resist.
Oh, absolutely—the more crimes Vladimir Putin commits in Ukraine, the more certain we become that we should have just catered to his every whim.

Maybe throw in a few more thermobaric bombs or some more civilian casualties, and I’ll just stand here and ceremoniously scatter ashes over the whole thing. Truly, I am increasingly convinced that all of this could have been avoided if we had simply guaranteed Russia that they were allowed to invade Ukraine—or rather, that NATO wouldn't defend it. Now, Russia is especially terrified that NATO might step in, which is why they are ramping up the destruction of Ukrainian cities and creating a humanitarian catastrophe. Those are clearly the rational, geopolitical imperatives at play here.

The whole "if I can't have it, nobody can" geopolitical doctrine stems directly from the interests of the Russian people, and it is the world's duty to serve the supreme servant of that nation.

quoting this:
basically, the whole payment setup works like this: the gas buyer jumps onto the New York Stock Exchange, asks for a specific amount of cash, and the exchange sets the rate. Once the deal is locked in, the money hits ExxonMobil's account, and then—presto—ExxonMobil sends over the gas.

So, is the deadline to pay up in rubles set for March 31st?

Richard Wilson4 said:So, is the deadline to pay up in rubles set for March 31st?

Exactly.

But the G7 has already shut that down. Nothing is going to change in just two days.

The Russian ruble is sitting at 87 against the US dollar—honestly, we’re basically looking at levels we haven't seen since before the invasion started. Some of the analysts over on the finance forums are already predicting a total Venezuelan-style collapse once the New York Stock Exchange opens in Moscow 🙏

I’m really curious to see if anyone actually bites on March 31st regarding those gas payments in rubles. I mean, cutting off the gas supply doesn't benefit Europe or Russia, so it’s going to be a wild ride regardless of how this plays out 😁

Drew Booth60 said:The Russian ruble is sitting at 87 against the US dollar—honestly, we’re basically looking at levels we haven't seen since before the invasion started. Some of the analysts over on the finance forums are already predicting a total Venezuelan-style collapse once the New York Stock Exchange opens in Moscow 🙏

I’m really curious to see if anyone actually bites on March 31st regarding those gas payments in rubles. I mean, cutting off the gas supply doesn't benefit Europe or Russia, so it’s going to be a wild ride regardless of how this plays out 😁

You really think that exchange rate is legit?

So, let me get this straight: the Fed basically banned regular folks and businesses from trading foreign currency, and now every company pulling in more than 80% of their revenue from exports is being forced to swap those dollars back into rubles? Is that really considered a "healthy" way to stabilize an exchange rate?
If you want to use a medical analogy, it’s like putting the ruble into a medically induced coma just to keep it from flatlining.
Oh, and let’s not forget that brilliant long-term strategy where brokers are strictly forbidden from selling bonds or securities held by foreign owners. Truly genius stuff. 👍

Drew Booth60 said:The Russian ruble is sitting at 87 against the US dollar—honestly, we’re basically looking at levels we haven't seen since before the invasion started. Some of the analysts over on the finance forums are already predicting a total Venezuelan-style collapse once the New York Stock Exchange opens in Moscow 🙏

I’m really curious to see if anyone actually bites on March 31st regarding those gas payments in rubles. I mean, cutting off the gas supply doesn't benefit Europe or Russia, so it’s going to be a wild ride regardless of how this plays out 😁

My favorite part of all this has been reading the comments from people claiming Russia is headed for some unprecedented economic apocalypse because the ruble is sliding.

People genuinely seem to believe that the Swabians are just going to toss billions of euros invested in Nord Stream 2 straight into the wind and suddenly become independent of Russian gas. Honestly, you aren't going to see that movie anytime soon—not when you consider how much those capitalists have at stake.
All these heavy-duty sanctions being thrown at Russia? It's mostly just media theater designed for the naive.

Time will tell how Russia ends up holding the entire EU by the balls, especially once they start quietly easing up on those sanctions under the radar in the near future.

Drew Booth60 said:The Russian ruble is sitting at 87 against the US dollar—honestly, we’re basically looking at levels we haven't seen since before the invasion started. Some of the analysts over on the finance forums are already predicting a total Venezuelan-style collapse once the New York Stock Exchange opens in Moscow 🙏

I’m really curious to see if anyone actually bites on March 31st regarding those gas payments in rubles. I mean, cutting off the gas supply doesn't benefit Europe or Russia, so it’s going to be a wild ride regardless of how this plays out 😁

😁

Aha... you wanna know why the exchange rate is sitting exactly like that?

And you seriously think this is some solid indicator for Russia and their economic future? For God's sake... please stop posting such absolute nonsense.

Brenda Murphy3 said:😁

Aha... you wanna know why the exchange rate is sitting exactly like that?

And you seriously think this is some solid indicator for Russia and their economic future? For God's sake... please stop posting such absolute nonsense.

Look, these sanctions and the invasion aren't going to last forever.
What we're seeing is just a temporary intervention to prop up the ruble until things settle down.

restlessmason54 said:My favorite part of all this has been reading the comments from people claiming Russia is headed for some unprecedented economic apocalypse because the ruble is sliding.

People genuinely seem to believe that the Swabians are just going to toss billions of euros invested in Nord Stream 2 straight into the wind and suddenly become independent of Russian gas. Honestly, you aren't going to see that movie anytime soon—not when you consider how much those capitalists have at stake.
All these heavy-duty sanctions being thrown at Russia? It's mostly just media theater designed for the naive.

Time will tell how Russia ends up holding the entire EU by the balls, especially once they start quietly easing up on those sanctions under the radar in the near future.

🤣🤣🤣🙏🙏🙏:

The Russians are feeding you some seriously bad vibes here—stop listening to them. Honestly, you're better off sticking to astrology.

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russ...les-bankruptcy

FYI Nord Stream 2 is dead & gone. That holding company set up by ExxonMobil was already insolvent back on February 3rd and filed for bankruptcy.

hollowdriver13 said:🤣🤣🤣🙏🙏🙏:

The Russians are feeding you some seriously bad vibes here—stop listening to them. Honestly, you're better off sticking to astrology.

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russ...les-bankruptcy

FYI Nord Stream 2 is dead & gone. That holding company set up by ExxonMobil was already insolvent back on February 3rd and filed for bankruptcy.

God, I just love this typical Anglo-fanatic style of personal attacks. It’s such a classic move. 😍

The world isn't nearly as one-dimensional as you think, and honestly, seeing Russia collapse is something you’ll only ever experience in your wildest, most delusional dreams. 🙂

Richard Wilson4 said:You really think that exchange rate is legit?

Honestly, I only trust the experts on this forum and what they say is coming next.

restlessmason54 said:God, I just love this typical Anglo-fanatic style of personal attacks. It’s such a classic move. 😍

The world isn't nearly as one-dimensional as you think, and honestly, seeing Russia collapse is something you’ll only ever experience in your wildest, most delusional dreams. 🙂

Look, we shouldn't just sit back and let Putin enthusiasts spout nonsense without calling them out on it.
What do you mean by saying Russia holds Europe by the balls? Care to elaborate on that? Or is it just an opinion? Because, honestly, an opinion isn't an actual argument.

restlessmason54 said:Look, these sanctions and the invasion aren't going to last forever.
What we're seeing is just a temporary intervention to prop up the ruble until things settle down.

Yeah, but the real question is how long they actually last, that's for sure.

But here's the kicker: if this ends today, there are going to be massive, long-term consequences for Russia... and I mean seriously negative ones. Everything else you hear is just hot air from Putin fans or people who, for whatever weird reason, want to see the European Union take a hit.

Anyone who thinks Russia can actually win a serious economic war against the European Union and the West—honestly, they have no clue what they're talking about. Sure, the European Union might run into some bumps in the road; they could even slip into a recession for a year or two (though that's a stretch), but compared to Russia, they can handle this conflict and the rapid pivot away from Russian energy without breaking a sweat. Russia doesn't have that luxury. A huge chunk of their entire budget relies on energy exports, making them completely dependent on cooperation with the West.
And before the trolls jump down my throat—I'm not saying Russia is going to "collapse." That word itself is pretty meaningless; a nation doesn't just "collapse" overnight. But the gap in living standards and quality of life between Russia and the European Union? That gap is going to widen significantly, and it's only going to keep growing.
The only people claiming otherwise are total idiots, people who don't know any better, or die-hard partisans for one side or the other. This isn't even about the aggression against Ukraine; these are just plain old facts...

Everyone was practically cheering for those sanctions against Russia

but nobody seemed to mention that it would end up being a noose around the necks of our seniors back home...

Drew Booth60 said:Honestly, I only trust the experts on this forum and what they say is coming next.

The real issue here is that you don't have a clue why the exchange rate is behaving this way, what’s actually driving it, or what this means for Russia in the long run... because if you actually understood any of that, you wouldn't be sitting there acting like some brainless emoji, mocking things you clearly don't get... but hey, whatever...

hollowdriver13 said:Look, we shouldn't just sit back and let Putin enthusiasts spout nonsense without calling them out on it.
What do you mean by saying Russia holds Europe by the balls? Care to elaborate on that? Or is it just an opinion? Because, honestly, an opinion isn't an actual argument.

If you want a quick lesson, just rewind the clock to 2014 and 2015 and look at how hypocritical the West was being regarding the annexation of Crimea—those sanctions were about as effective as they were sincere.

Do you honestly believe a major powerhouse like Germany is going to tank its own economy just because Putin and some insignificant conflict in Ukraine are rattling guns over there? 🤣
Forget the European Union for a second; the Germans are the ones calling the shots here, and their hands are on the wheel. Just don't forget about Nord Stream 2.

restlessmason54 said:If you want a quick lesson, just rewind the clock to 2014 and 2015 and look at how hypocritical the West was being regarding the annexation of Crimea—those sanctions were about as effective as they were sincere.

Do you honestly believe a major powerhouse like Germany is going to tank its own economy just because Putin and some insignificant conflict in Ukraine are rattling guns over there? 🤣
Forget the European Union for a second; the Germans are the ones calling the shots here, and their hands are on the wheel. Just don't forget about Nord Stream 2.

That is some top-tier "logic" proving how much Russia basically treats the EU like a joke. 🙏

I mean, seriously, this deep dive into geopolitics definitely deserves a PhD.