Posted on 07/30/2014 8:14:17 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
MOSCOW Russia, facing the toughest round of Western sanctions imposed since the Ukraine crisis erupted, has adopted a nonchalant public stance, with President Vladimir V. Putin emphasizing the importance of self-reliance and a new poll released Tuesday indicating a What, me worry? attitude among the bulk of the population.
But beneath that calm facade, there is growing alarm in Russia that the festering turmoil in Ukraine and the new round of far more punitive sanctions announced Tuesday by both European nations and the United States will have an impact on Russias relations with the West for years to come and damage the economy to the extent that ordinary Russians feel it.
Until now, Mr. Putins tactics seemed to be working. Russia was feeding the separatist insurgency in Ukraine without leaving distinct fingerprints able to press Kiev to come to terms while avoiding a rupture with Europe that would alienate Russias business elite. But that strategy is beginning to crumble, battered under successive shock waves generated by the crisis.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
It’s so cute when the New York Slime’s has to bend over backwards to pretend Ubama is not a complete foreign-affairs imbecile.
If anything the MH17 shooting has done more to hurt Russia than anything. They’re now loathed by Europe to the point where it affects their travel and likely won’t be forgotten after the war.
The sanctions? Russia is used to black market deals. They’re displeased but they’re confident they’ll go away in time.
Somebody said today that we’ve had sanctions on Iran for a long time and haven’t really hurt them. it will be interesting on how Putin responds.
The Slimes is right, I’m afraid. Putin’s home popularity has dropped from 88% to 86% over the past week.
We should sanction the administration.
Doesn’t Russia trade with Iran. If so, then you have a chink in the efficiency of the sanctions.
Obama’s weakness and his pro-Russia allies seem determined to recreate the Russian threat.
In fact I’m witnessing just the opposite. As far as sanctions are piling up I see people who were previously concerned and don’t give a crap anymore. Overall mood is let him rock harder as far as sanctions seems unavoidable anyway. I think more people supporting Ukrainian insurgency right now as more and more refugees are flooding into Russia and telling their stories.
"Kremlin officials seeking to break with the West believe that whatever financing they lose there, they can regain from China or India, Mr. Milov said, without realizing that neither banking system is geared to provide the billions in long-term credit that Russian companies routinely got from Western banks."
Also consider this:
Quoting from the TELEGRAPH article: "The Kremlin can in theory use gas as a diplomatic weapon but this would ravage Russias own economy. It would not achieve much at this time of the year in any case since Europe has built up large gas reserves.
The EU has huge spare capacity for imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), and there is no longer an acute shortage of global LNG supplies. Several pipelines have been modified since 2009 so that gas can be funnelled both ways, reaching most EU areas. Both Poland and Lithuania will be opening new LNG terminals this year.
Even if Russian cut off gas to Europe, the West could meet its power needs by a variety of means. If we have to, we can fire up a lot of idle coal-powered plants. It would take time, but only months, said Professor Alan Riley, from City University.
The real danger is that we hit Russia too hard and crash the whole Russian economy. Nobody wants to do that, he said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/10981648/Russia-vastly-outgunned-in-economic-showdown-with-West.html
....”the festering turmoil in Ukraine”.....
Ukraine war looks like Russia when Oligarchs fought in the 90’s....it was said Former Russian Oligarchs would make Ukraine the base for their activities, rather than goe to London they would go to Kiev......and they did.
There’s more involved in the fighting in East Ukraine then meets the eye of the media.
Russia is a creditor to the US.....holding Treasury Bonds close to 200 Billion.....Russia could dump them in response.
There's allot of money flowing and stands to be gained, along with the power it welds, by the winners in this war...as well as control. You cannot create a government in Ukraine without getting rid of the Oligarchs deeply embedded system within it....and they are very much operating within the conflict.
Investigative teams have found and documented vast connections of fraud and corruption interconnected with Oligarchs, Judges, Prosecutors and throughout Ukraine's entire system....as well as money laundering etc. connected with the Uk and even the US.
Kiev's government has always been corrupt, it's how it has worked with bribes and kickbacks as ‘the normal’ way of business and governance...and this at every level of service in the country.
US teams and others are attempting to root this out, which is another reason the Parliament just fell....the fast majority within it were on the take one way or another....and why the vote for Oil didn't go thru as the US had anticipated.
This war isn't going to be over with real soon....if Kiev continues to push as it's doing in the East, the Ant-kiev fighters will simply go underground and continue to play havoc in the East.
Putin’s response to new sanctions...Press brief...as is his custom...no notes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBSzJ2wzb0s
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