The irony of this entire sanctions’ kabuki theatre is Russia is making substantially more on its energy exports after the war than before. What is driving energy prices is the perception of potential future shortages of energy due to this war than the current reality that there is currently no shortage at all. This war will end before the perception becomes a reality and prices will decline. In the meantime, Russia is having a banner year from its energy exports because of the war. Europe is not importing less Russian energy after the start of the war but more, except Russia is receiving 35% more for its product than before the war because the war has driven energy prices up at least 35%. In the case of natural gas, they are receiving 65% more. We have not cut back on importing Russian energy and China is taking all Russia will send. Even Ukraine is receiving Russian energy by letting it flow thru the pipeline to Poland and Poland reselling it back to Ukraine. The Swift sanctions sleight of hand trick was for public consumption because 20% of Russian banks were exempted and that was because Europe insisted some Russian banks not be subject to SWIFT sanctions so they could funnel payments to Russia for the Russian energy they were buying. The cold reality is Russia is making money from this war, although that is not why they started it. Meanwhile Biden is exhorting our enemies like Iran and Venezuela to produce and ship more oil after cutting US production over the last year when the only energy producing nation producing and exporting less energy this year than last is the US because of his policies
chuckee thanks for that post. I knew all that but you stated it very well. I laughed when I read it but it was a bitter sarcastic laugh.
Anybody but the USA? Let's convince Texas to secede and they can supply the oil!
You write ‘irony’...
...I write ‘distraction’.
There are multiple agendas at play taking advantage of a long planned ‘crisis’ of manufactured origin.