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As Sanctions Pile Up, Russians’ Alarm Grows Over Putin’s Tactics
New York Times ^ | 07/30/2014 | By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

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 Russia’s relations with the West for years to come and damage the economy to the extent that ordinary Russians feel it.

Until now, Mr. Putin’s 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 Russia’s business elite. But that strategy is beginning to crumble, battered under successive shock waves generated by the crisis.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: russia; sanctions; ukraine

1 posted on 07/30/2014 8:14:17 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

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.


2 posted on 07/30/2014 8:15:59 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The man who damns money obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it earned it." --Ayn Rand)
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To: SeekAndFind

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.


3 posted on 07/30/2014 8:23:04 AM PDT by Bogey78O (We had a good run. Coulda been great still.)
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To: SeekAndFind

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.


4 posted on 07/30/2014 8:31:27 AM PDT by McGruff (I don't trust the Russians but I don't trust the Ukrainians either.)
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To: SeekAndFind

The Slimes is right, I’m afraid. Putin’s home popularity has dropped from 88% to 86% over the past week.


5 posted on 07/30/2014 8:37:11 AM PDT by steerpike100
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To: SeekAndFind

We should sanction the administration.


6 posted on 07/30/2014 8:42:15 AM PDT by huldah1776
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To: McGruff

Doesn’t Russia trade with Iran. If so, then you have a chink in the efficiency of the sanctions.


7 posted on 07/30/2014 9:05:08 AM PDT by Morpheus2009
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To: SeekAndFind

Obama’s weakness and his pro-Russia allies seem determined to recreate the Russian threat.


8 posted on 07/30/2014 9:10:29 AM PDT by ansel12 (LEGAL immigrants, 30 million 1980-2012, continues to remake the nation's electorate for democrats)
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To: SeekAndFind

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.


9 posted on 07/30/2014 9:44:37 AM PDT by wetphoenix
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To: Morpheus2009
This is from the article and it's part of what the pro-Putin gangster state folks don't understand about the vulnerability of their superman, ultra-gangsta Putin:

"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 Russia’s 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

10 posted on 07/30/2014 9:54:42 AM PDT by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution.)
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To: SeekAndFind

....”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.


11 posted on 07/30/2014 10:27:14 AM PDT by caww
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To: McGruff

Russia is a creditor to the US.....holding Treasury Bonds close to 200 Billion.....Russia could dump them in response.


12 posted on 07/30/2014 10:29:31 AM PDT by caww
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To: Bogey78O
Russia's going to be loathed even when it's right, and no matter what it says or does. The anti-Russian propaganda machine is in full force, and largely funded by many former Russian Oligarchs who, along with Alibama, seek Putin's demise so they can again have influence in Russia and of course Ukraine...which during the Orange war they made their base.

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.

13 posted on 07/30/2014 10:48:10 AM PDT by caww
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To: McGruff

Putin’s response to new sanctions...Press brief...as is his custom...no notes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBSzJ2wzb0s


14 posted on 07/30/2014 12:16:11 PM PDT by caww
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