poverty without doubt but total collapse is unlikely, read this earlier-
"Despite the punishing financial sanctions, Russia has built “an economy that’s geared for conflict," said Richard Connolly, an expert on the Russian economy at the Royal United Services Institute in Britain."
No Russian general would obey an order to use WMDs on Ukraine.
Subdued in this case means incorporated into Russian territory. Maybe Putin might 'compromise' and allow Ukraine to continue as a weak vassal state with democracy permanently suspended, but full submission either way, with no prospect of ever aligning westward again.
Loffe asserts that the harder the Russian army finds it in Ukraine, and they already seem to be finding it pretty f*cking hard, the more Putin will double down. On the question of would he use nuclear weapons if he thought it necessary, the answer was 'yes', on the basis that everything we have so far thought Putin would not dare do in his 22 years as overlord of Russia, he has done.
I'm not saying this woman, Julia Loffe, is infallible. In fact, he hope she is wrong, because if she's not, we all could be feeling the direct effects by the time this whole thing reaches its culmination.
Hence chemical weapons and nuclear terrorism
Im not at all one for hysterics- it’s not just me but there will be Chinese experts stating on Ch 4 news this evening that were the closest to WW3 than we ever have been- Putin needs to be taken out- we’re not dealing with “normal” war here- I really feel we’re in uncharted territory
Here's hoping. 🤞
The same generals shelling residential areas?
You've more faith in them than I do.
An economy doesn't suffer from poverty, people do.
Many of the younger population do not understand real poverty, and the children of the Middle class will be wondering WT?!
I wouldn't get in a tank in any modern war for love nor money. You're just a magnet for all sorts of weaponry from Javelins, to NLAW's to drones. I'd rather take my chances on foot.
That is some insight. Some one needs to stick there head above the parapet. Russians and Ukrainians alike should turn guns towards the Kremlin.
Wishful thinking of course.
Too busy giving 5 star service to Putin's missus and kids.
Get there as the population in Russia goes into a winter suffering abject poverty and despair.
Isnt that a normal Winter for the Russian population?
We're definitely in a whole new level when it comes to the threat of ww3 that many of us thought was never going to happen after the fall of the Berlin wall
nor be able to earn much in resource sales
Aren't the Germans still buying €1.1 billion worth of gas every day from Russia?
They got no alternative
also Macron announced today that he won't cut dependency on Russian oil/gas/coal till 2027, i'm not sure if that was studied or he's just leaving it till the end of his second term.
Same as Cavan
At least they can burn bundles of Roubles to keep warm since they won't be much use for anything else.
Perhaps Putin's girlfriend complained about the noise of all the planes disturbing her sleep.
A friend in need is a friend indeed
Exactly.
Same as most of Europe.
Despite all the bluster, the west is in an unfortunate position.
It needs Russia more than Russia needs it
Nice stretched out date from the EU, says we are acting, says to Russia we are still going to pay.
Clearly not or they would have turned their back on Ukraine.
The West might need to put on an extra jumper, Russians will be eating out of trash cans.
Not a chance.
Russia feeds a lot of the world. They'll dump enough to feed themselves twice over.
I firmly believe that Russia views the food it controls as it's ultimate weapon.
I hope not. But I also think they will use chemical weapons to get themselves over the line.
All good having that grain, but they still need to refine it and make it into something to eat.
The €1.1 billion is based on all of Europe and not limited to gas, it includes oil and coal also. Australia and the US can make up 70% of coal if Europe stops buying from Russia.
Oil can be sourced elsewhere (think the EU report mentions reducing dependance on Russian oil by 80%)
Gas is obviously harder to replace.
I'm not sure the average modern Russian will be happy to just exist on their food surplus, whilst cast back to dark dark days compared to their modern civilised cultured standard of living.
They don't really have a shelf life: https://modernsurvivalblog.com/nuclear/potassium-iodide-tablets-shelf-life/
If the Russians mess with Ukraine's reactors, the tablets might be of some use, but for WW3 they wouldn't.
You're assuming their economy doesn't do a Zimbabwae, the bread basket of Africa. If an economy goes into meltdown it becomes chaos.
Do you know what the ratio is?
I would imagine the coal imports are much less than gas?
As in, has gas mostly replaced coal in power generation?
if putin is sick, maybe the plan is to take the world with him…..
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