I would be absolutely delighted if the Russians turn off the gas to the West, it's cutting off their nose to spite their face and will finally see the end of the war and our Western Leaders and specifically Germany might actually do something about their dependency on Russian gas
I would say that veto power should exist on the most important things, like treaties changing the scope and powers of the EU over constituent countries. If you don't have a veto here, you could easily have a situation where countries are thinking that this isn't what they originally signed up for and could leave the bloc altogether. Keeping a load of European countries on the same page is an ambitious project and maintaining political harmony is certainly not to be taken for granted. A few countries leave the bloc altogether and you're suddenly looking at a potentially divided Europe again and all which that has entailed in the history of the continent.
Leaving the EU is not something any country would do lightly though. In the case of members of the Eurozone, it would probably crash their economy overnight, as they would have no domestic currency to fall back on.
Russia pays Ukraine $100 million a month to transport its gas to the west. Bizarrely these payments continue despite the war. Some Russians now are saying that the payments are funding the killing of their own soldiers.
Looking more and more like a laughable Dr. Evil of Austin Powers fame, by the day. Russian dose.
I'd probably have more respect for Dr. Evil at this point. The culture shock after being thawed out must have been hell...
Footage of the GRU agents individuals carrying out attack in Transnistria
Yea, but if Vlad got paid in $ or € then he could convert them into Roubles and spend them. The Russian CB prints the stuff after all. If he just keeps the $ or € he just accumulates reserves. If he spends them abroad, China and India will play ball. If he gets paid by gas importers in roubles, importers will get these in exchange for hard currency. Any lasting effect on the net demand for Roubles in exchange for $ or € will depend on how Vlad spends the proceeds, irrespective of which currency is the medium of exchange.
So as correct horse battery staple says, its all about insisting that Vlad sticks to the letter of the contract. But that's a triumph of legal pedantry over economic and financial substance in my view. So don't rise to Vlad's provocation on this. By all means tell Vlad to stuff it: better that way than giving Vlad a pretext for cutting off the gas, and appearing to stuff you.
Interesting that the article doesn't list any of the gas buyers who've already paid in rubles / or the 10 in total who've already opened ruble Gazprom accounts in order to purchase Russian oil and gas as dictated by Putin and friends.
Looks however like Germany was one of the first to sign up.
Obviously they mustn't be paying attention to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen (herself a former German politician under Angela Merkel) who has warned that paying for Russian gas in rubles, as the Kremlin has demanded, would breach sanctions. Good to see her fellow German politicians don't give a toss apparently.
Our friend Yuri Filatov is being interviewed on Drivetime by Sarah McInerney - coming out with some crazy stuff, denying knowledge of all atrocities and claiming the pregnant woman filmed on a stretcher in Mariupol was an actress with fake blood on.
Fair play to Sarah, she’s playing it really cool. He should be thrown out of the country asap
If I had to guess European buyers in roubles per country I'd go for Belarus (obviously), Serbia, Hungary (Orban) and maybe Bosnia. None of which would be any surprise.
He's essentially saying that everything the western media says about Russia and the war is lies and fake news.
Yes, that's what they were trying to do all right. BUT unless you really have to, and have specialized gear, ( solid steel tow / brake bar,) you only ever really pull heavy vehicles. And, that means having experienced people doing it. It just shows the inexperience of these tank crews to think that they could simply push it out if the way using a wooden pole.
It says 4 "European countries" (possibly non EU??) and 10 "companies" (companies, not countries). You don't seem to have posted any evidence that Germany is one of these countries. I'd say inside the EU it could be Hungary (anyway), as Orbán already said publically he didn't care, and Hungary would do it (pay in rubles as demanded by Putin).
On Germany being one of these countries. See previous discussion & post
And my apologies m'lud I didnt realise having already presented the 'evidence' a dozen or so posts back - that I was required to do so again. But no worries 😁
The mechanism Germany is using is the same as that outlined in the Bloomberg article about the 4 European countries who have already done so.
"After the EU imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow demanded that it be paid in rubles for shipments starting April 1. But the bloc told member states that the mechanism the Kremlin proposed, which required opening euro and ruble accounts with state-controlled Gazprombank, would violate the sanctions."
As far as I can see ( and I'm no world banking specialist) After the bottom of the barrel fell out of the value of the Ruble, by some kind of financial wizardry, Putin managed to save it, and not only that, but to restore it's value. But to keep it floating now, means having it traded, so now you want Russian oil? Sure, you can have it, but it has to be paid for in Russian Rubles. So you buy Rubles using USD / Euro's. and pay for the oil in Rubles, OK? This demand for Rubles, increases its value, ( means it costs you more) helping to keep it propped up, and also gives Putin hard currency. He has it both ways to my mind....but there may be other explanations too.
I’m not normally a fan of Sarah but she played a blinder here.
This has puzzled me throughout this. I felt that Ukraine haven't blown the Gaslines because of how it will effect the surrounding countries. I didn't about how they were getting money from Russia for it.
Basically it's a case of if Russia cut the 100million, they know they'll blow the pipes. Ukraine like their 100million to fund their defence and keep gas prices in Europe reasonable.
wow..the whole world bar Eritrea and a few others are lying according to the Russian Ambassador
I actually feel sorry for him,he's an intelligent man and must know he's talking codswallop but has no choice and no way out
No Lord here...Yes, I had missed that post sorry.
I see the articles are from 1 month ago (end of March), they concern Putin making his demand/threat, and then this idea of paying in Euro and having it converted by the bank afterwards (as a sort of loophole).
The articles I found about the EU Commission saying not paying in Euro is a breach of sanctions are later than this date (e.g. one below is from 23/4). It's all a bit murky from below. I don't see a reason to be so absolutely certain Germany is going to use the mechanism (and is one of the 4 countries other article speaks of).
That article led me to the thread from the UK paratrooper who goes into the, ahem, gory details of how this all works. That thread led me to this interview-with-a-Ukrainian soldier thread where he talks about how badly the Russian soldiers treat each other. https://twitter.com/dpatrikarakos/status/1519270060900106240
Filatov sure does Fibalot.
Poland and Bulgaria are hostile to Putin. Germany is an ally.
So how does that work for any Imports that Russia need's? ( That is for whatever they can import) These have to be paid for in hard currency's? And these hard currency's would come from oil / gaz sales which were paid for in bought Rubles???? Or how does that work???
Germany is not an ally.
I get not being happy with the steps Germany has taken to help Ukraine or sanction Russia and I can understand being annoyed with their policies since 2014 but calling them a Russian ally is just utter nonsense.
@jmreire - So how does that work for any Imports that Russia need's?
It basically means they are fcuked.
Surprised Russia hasn’t just invented imaginary money in their banks at this stage.
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