Russia has nearly doubled its revenues from selling fossil fuels to the EU during the two months of war in Ukraine, benefiting from soaring prices even as volumes have been reduced.
Russia has received about €62bn from exports of oil, gas and coal in the two months since the invasion began, according to an analysis of shipping movements and cargos by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
For the EU, imports were about €44bn for the past two months, compared with about €140bn for the whole of last year, or roughly €12bn a month.
The findings demonstrate how Russia has continued to benefit from its stranglehold over Europe’s energy supply, even while governments have frantically sought to prevent Vladimir Putin using oil and gas as an economic weapon.
Even though exports from Russia have been reduced by the war and sanctions, the country’s dominance as a source of gas has meant cutting off supplies has only increased prices, which were already high because of tight supply as global economies recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic. Crude oil shipments from Russia to foreign ports fell by 30% in the first three weeks of April, compared with rates in January and February, before the invasion, according to the CREA data.
But the higher prices Russia can now command for its oil and gas mean its revenues, which flow almost directly to the Russian government through state-dominated companies, have risen even while sanctions and export restrictions bite. Russia has effectively caught the EU in a trap where further restrictions will raise prices further, cushioning its revenues despite the best efforts of EU governments.
Yeah, sanctions are still going to take a while to really have a significant impact. As long as most of the world keeps trading with Russia and as long as Europe is still buying their energy, the short term effects will probably be blunted until the supply chains for their weapons production start to dry up (if that happens).
I also think the US is making a mistake by publicly talking about how their aim in this is to weaken Russia long term. That just plays into Russian hysteria about NATO being an existential threat and is only going to bolster support for a more significant mobilization of the Russian army and a shift from a "special operation" to a full-blown war, which won't end well for anyone.
It’s more importantly geopolitically, yes. But that doesn’t explain the dramatically different emotional reactions to seeing some dead civilians (this must end NOW!) vs other dead civilians (…).
It's because the civilians in Ukraine are white. White people aren't supposed to be the victims in conflicts.
I do think the Biden administration has done an unbelievably good job galvanizing the world as well.
His workout video reminds me of the nobs who upbadge their BMW - The only people who would care about it, are also the same people who can spot the fake, so all you're doing is embarrasing yourself.
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Transnistria bars all fighting age men from leaving the country. Move does not look good. There are currently 15K troops in the the breakaway region and Moldova has no military.
Transnistria bars all fighting men age men from leaving the country. Move does not look good. There are currently 15K troops in the the breakaway region and Moldova has no military.
There's only 1,500 real Russian troops, and the balance is Transnistria reservists. They have no equipment, zero tanks and APCs in working condition ever since 2015. Watch their military parade from 2019, they had two jeeps that's it.
####. Russians are absolute ####ing pyschos. How can you be so oblivious to your own nations criminality and reckless behaviour?
#### this nation of criminals. Call them on their bluff.
And this is what posters like clifffletcher dont realize. Its not just a Black or white thing, its that one of the 2 biggest nuclear powers is invading and using end of the world threats. Also a country that might actually be crazy and stupid enough to do this. Also dont be naive to the scope of the world impact this war is having.
Other foreign genocides and atrocities have definitely had more local impact and casualties,.... but that doesnt make people racist for focusing on the conflict.
If you want to focus on another conflict, start another thread. I would more than welcome that/those discussions too.
Last edited by Samonadreau; 04-29-2022 at 02:13 AM.
That’s how you win the nuclear game. You have to convince your opposition that you are willing to strike first. Putin knows the west isn’t nuking him first. The west believes that Putin might Nuke first. Putin has won the nuclear part of the standoff.
It was the one thing Trump being a wildcard actually had a benefit. He was crazy and irrational enough that people believed he would nuke first. Now him being a Putin asset (willingly or unknowingly) didn’t help but on the nuclear front stupid and crazy allow you to project nuclear power further.
Apparently Putin has taken full command of day to day operations (basically what Hitler did in the later years to disastrous effect). Gerasimov is already commanding the troops in Izyum and on the grounds there.
This will end well.
So the question is now...where in the world is Dvornikov?
Supposedly Dvornikov the infamous Syrian butcher has been fired, or may even have been killed as part of the 49th army command post in Kherson that got bombed last week.
He suddenly has disappeared with not a single mention of him in Russia or state media after being used as a strong propaganda push 2 weeks ago.
What is known is that a couple of high level general from the General Staff of Russia recommended to Putin to abandon the 2nd wave offensive as Russia would lose its entire combat ready military. Putin rejected it.
Expect some craziness in the next few days.
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