Posted on 02/11/2016 7:24:36 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
The fact is that Putin’s Russia and the EU are engaged in a race against time: the question is which one will collapse first.
The Putin regime faces bankruptcy in 2017, when a large part of its foreign debt matures, and political turmoil may erupt sooner than that. The president’s popularity, which remains high, rests on a social compact requiring the government to deliver financial stability and a slowly but steadily rising standard of living. Western sanctions, coupled with the sharp decline in the price of oil, will force the regime to fail on both counts.
The most effective way Putin’s regime can avoid collapse is by causing the EU to collapse sooner. An EU that is coming apart at the seams will not be able to maintain the sanctions it imposed on Russia following its incursion into Ukraine. On the contrary, Putin will be able to gain considerable economic benefits from dividing Europe and exploiting the connections with commercial interests and anti-European parties that he has carefully cultivated.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/11/putin-threat-europe-islamic-state
20 Saudi F-15 in Turkey, how will they be used?
Putin’s views are indeed global. He sees America as the “sick man of the World”. He believes that the moment is ripe to bring Mother Russia back to its previous “glory”. He sees that Russia ought to get back its status as a global decider through regaining control of its periphery. East Europe will have its turn.
If Putin is not stopped in Syria, as he was not stopped in Ukraine, he will end up reducing Western influence in the region to almost non-existence. Putin’s favorite game is to turn his adversaries’ move to his favor. His point of start is always his adversaries’ moves. He plans his steps based on this frame of mind.
Russia needs its hand slapped, hard.
Russia has crap all for a deployable military. The only reason Russia has any juice at all these days is because we’re still besieged on the domestic front by Cold War wonks who were indoctrinated into utter and complete horror at the mere mention of the Great Soviet Bear.
Yes, and by the many leftists who support the resurgent dictatorship.
It has started: Turkish military also hit targets of regime in northwest Syria: state media
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/698600206997327872
Will the proposed privatization solve anything?
Russian oligarchs are the most likely potential buyers of the stakes in some of the country’s largest companies that President Vladimir Putin wants to sell.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-privatisation-plan-idUSKCN0VB23D
Who dares to purchase assets in Russia? The risk premium is extreme, just ask BP (with a 20 % interest in Rosneft). http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/02/bp-annual-loss-biggest-for-20-years-axes-thousands-of-jobs-deepwater
If to think at the expert's level, it is very simple - we need to wait until the oil price is $100.
Take a look at the oil futures market http://futures.tradingcharts.com/marketquotes/CL_.html
A big conflict will give higher price. The question is if the Russians will purchase a lot of call options, is that insider trading?
Video from Northern Thunder in N Saudi; a lot of Kuwaiti M-84s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZKSRdFQ8F4
Will they stop at the Saudi-Iraqi border?
They'll be stopped by the body bags.
Who is missing the party?
... and now 19 http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/saudi-arabia-announces-major-military-manoeuvres-with-19-allies-116021500021_1.html
64 civilians were killed across #Syria on Saturday
95% of them by #Putin and #Assad
https://twitter.com/JulianRoepcke/status/698988208995102720
Russia has to reform its economy otherwise there will be 15 years of stagnation according to the Ministry of Finance.
http://www.vedomosti.ru/economics/articles/2016/02/15/629411-15-let-zastoya (In Russian)
Interesting to read the comments, they have Kremlin Trolls there as well ;-)
Erdogan closed Zaman, but the article is here http://web.archive.org/web/20160225055933/http://www.todayszaman.com/national_sources-say-ex-president-gul-has-no-immediate-plans-to-form-new-party_412160.html
More info about the opposition to Erdogan http://www.turkeyanalyst.org/publications/turkey-analyst-articles/item/516-the-sound-of-footsteps-erdogan%E2%80%99s-new-enemies-within.html Any more info?
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