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Vladimir Putin’s Energy War With Europe Seems to Falter
Wall Street Journal ^ | September 18, 2022 | Stephen Fidler

Posted on 09/19/2022 5:55:02 AM PDT by Alter Kaker

Vladimir Putin’s economic campaign to force European governments to abandon support for Ukraine by sharply curbing their natural-gas supplies looks to be faltering as gas prices fall, Russian government finances deteriorate and the continent sets plans to ease the pressure on households and businesses.

Russia’s long-term success in the economic fight with Europe is seen as critical by both sides in deciding the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine. But signs that Mr. Putin’s economic strategy is struggling are coinciding with serious reverses on the battlefield as Ukrainian forces regain swaths of Russian-occupied territory and as the Russian president has been forced to acknowledge the concerns of the Chinese and Indian leaders about the invasion.

European governments say Mr. Putin’s gambit is to cut natural-gas supplies to inflict pain on European households and businesses so populations turn against current government policies of sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine with weapons and financial aid.

Russia isn’t yet sure to lose this economic fight. But a growing consensus among officials, energy specialists and economists suggests that, although Russian actions will cause serious hardship in many places, Mr. Putin will likely fail and that Europe should ride out the winter without running out of gas. Once this winter is over, Mr. Putin’s sway over Europe’s energy supplies will have withered critically, they say.

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


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Germany; News/Current Events; Russia; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: 0iqputintrolls; 0iqrussiantrolls; 0livingrussians; babyitscoldinside; fidlerisaclown; fidlerisapoof; fidlerontheroof; fidlerontheroofies; itistolaugh; lolstephenfidler; norsebadenov; ofcourseitdoes; putin; russiansuicide; stephenfidler; stephenfidlerlol; surehans; surejan; surestevie; swampniks; ukraine; vatniks; vladtheimploder; warpimpsgonnapimpwar; zottherussiantrolls
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To: Flag_This

We shall see.

Kind of hard to heat your homes, houses, military installations, etc. when you have little to no power generation or that power generation been taken out. Even harder to run trucks, tanks, etc. without fuel given the fuel shortages Ukraine is currently experiencing.

But we shall see.


41 posted on 09/19/2022 12:24:08 PM PDT by cranked
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To: WMarshal

—”You are true to your FR handle DUMBGRUNT”

And proud of it!
Also, have the scars and free license plates to prove it.

Thank you.


42 posted on 09/19/2022 12:26:24 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT ( "The enemy has overrun us. We are blowing up everything. Vive la France!"Dien Bien Phu last messa)
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To: WMarshal

That post had nothing to do with Trump’s position, you just ignored it, which seems to mean, Yes, It seems you oppose Trump on this and prefered the European dependency of a year ago.


43 posted on 09/19/2022 12:26:39 PM PDT by ansel12 (NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.)
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To: cranked

Ivan will have his own logistical challenges to contend with.


44 posted on 09/19/2022 12:29:33 PM PDT by Flag_This
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To: Flag_This

So you assert.

We shall see.


45 posted on 09/19/2022 12:30:37 PM PDT by cranked
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To: Alter Kaker

Russia will also likely run into long range problems by allying with China. For example:

” Why China Can’t make Chips! “

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKURE05_RPI

Some of the comments by people experienced with China are perhaps more insightful than the vid itself.

This will only get worse as China seems determined to spiral further and further back down into authoritarianism.


46 posted on 09/19/2022 12:31:53 PM PDT by Paul R. (You know your pullets are dumb if they don't recognize a half Whopper as food!)
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To: BenLurkin

Putin will defeat Russia. Putin has been the reason why Russia has not improved in the past 2w years. Putin got Russia in this senseless war


47 posted on 09/19/2022 2:04:46 PM PDT by Cronos
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To: libertylover

Petrol prices have dropped by 20%. Still above pre 24 feb levels, but not by much


48 posted on 09/19/2022 2:05:48 PM PDT by Cronos
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To: ansel12

I don’t care who the Europeans buy their natural gas from. Natural gas is a global commodity so it doesn’t matter whom buys from whom - what matters I s the aggregate demand And the reliability and trustworthiness of the supplier. The ignorant European should not have gone down the green fantasy route and had Biltmore nuclear power plants and fracked for natural gas.

As far as I’m concerned the Europeans can #%@! off.


49 posted on 09/19/2022 4:36:30 PM PDT by WMarshal (Neocons and leftards are the same species of vicious rat.)
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To: BobL

You can’t help the neocons, they are a willfully ignorant and a rabid pack of a-holes.


50 posted on 09/19/2022 4:38:34 PM PDT by WMarshal (Neocons and leftards are the same species of vicious rat.)
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To: WMarshal

That is different, you gave your personal opinion on the situation.

It would have saved time if you had done that in answer to my original post which was “It seems you oppose Trump on this and preferred the European dependency of a year ago.”.


51 posted on 09/19/2022 4:44:29 PM PDT by ansel12 (NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.)
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To: WMarshal

“You can’t help the neocons, they are a willfully ignorant and a rabid pack of a-holes.”

Yep, they are the worst, even worse than people who eat at McDonald’s.


52 posted on 09/19/2022 5:00:03 PM PDT by BobL (I eat at McDonald's, I just don't tell anyone.)
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To: ansel12
"It would have saved time if you had done that in answer to my original post which was “It seems you oppose Trump on this and preferred the European dependency of a year ago.”.

Damn! I didn't know that this test would affect my grade.

53 posted on 09/19/2022 5:27:20 PM PDT by WMarshal (Neocons and leftards are the same species of vicious rat.)
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To: libertylover; Alter Kaker; UMCRevMom@aol.com; PIF; libh8er; marcusmaximus; dennisw; familyop; ...

A few years ago, I seem to recall the European gas price per gallon was something like $6 or $7. Last Friday I was very happy to pay $3.06/9 at a gas station near Front Royal, VA. I hope it will be even lower when I head the other way tomorrow.


54 posted on 09/19/2022 5:31:25 PM PDT by gleeaikin (pQuestion .)
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To: WMarshal

Being evasive and dishonest on a forum is always being graded.


55 posted on 09/19/2022 5:33:31 PM PDT by ansel12 (NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.)
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To: ansel12
"Being evasive and dishonest on a forum is always being graded.

You take yourself pretty seriously don't you? Petty self importance is a symptom of a weak mind. FOAD

56 posted on 09/19/2022 5:41:11 PM PDT by WMarshal (Neocons and leftards are the same species of vicious rat.)
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To: gleeaikin

The USA and other countries have been insulated from the hit of fossil fuel volatility for decades. As has the aviation industry globally.

In the late 90s I was paying 40p a litre for gas, the car did maybe 30mpg on a good day. That was a 2 litre SUV.

Ten years ago I was getting 46mpg consistently but the gas prices had doubled. I’d swapped for a (then new to market) Mazda CX-5 diesel which was more expensive to fill up but was more economical.

I’m currently paying 176p for gas. My town only has one gas station. If I go 7 miles, to a bigger town, the exact same gas station chain is selling it at 168p a litre. It has supermarket competition.

I’m swapping that car this week... For a 1.6l Tucson self charging petrol hybrid. Same form factor as the Mazda and cars since, but I’ve been testing it out for a few weeks.

In sports mode it accelerates quicker than any previous car in the class (even the 2.2l petrol ones I’ve had) but achieves it using the battery not the gas tank. Fuel consumption? 53mpg on average and I’ve not even kept it in economy mode.

So I’m getting a much faster car than I had 20 years ago, same size, and it’s using just over half the gas.

Environment be damned, I’m not going hybrid for the feels and smugness.

I’m going hybrid because the new car picks up its skirts faster than a can-can dancer, is faster, is noticeably more powerful, and will still be cheaper to run, than my 4 year old petrol equivalent.


57 posted on 09/20/2022 1:13:40 AM PDT by MalPearce ("You see, but you do not observe". https://www.thefabulous.co/s/2uHEJdj)
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To: MalPearce; All

I see you say 40p a liter. I guess p = pence and you live in GB? At any rate I saw in the first 50 comments a listing of prices per gallon somewhere in Europe. Around 10 years ago, the price was indeed $7 a gallon. when I returned from my trip to West Virginia, the price was still a low $3.09/9 in the VA station I found. Some other places listed at $3.49/9 on the drive out had dropped to $3.39/9 on the return. I suspect the oil companies don’t want Trump reelected because gas prices dropped so low during his admin. that oil companies could no longer afford to drill and pump because the price for barrels of oil had dropped that low. Thus they are lowering prices before the election so people are not so angry at Biden.


58 posted on 09/22/2022 8:52:22 PM PDT by gleeaikin (Question authority! .)
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To: gleeaikin

Yep. 38p a litre in the early 90s, 4x as much now.

So a car that has double the MPG of its equivalent from the 90s still costs twice as much to fill up.

That’s annoying on paper but at least regular inflation reduces the hit.

On a good day, driving in London is about as fast as running, and it’s stop-start all the way. For £40k you could have a plugin hybrid and a rooftop solar panel installation that’d cost next to nothing to run. Or you can pay the same up front and have a V8 beastmobile burning through £100 of fuel a week, rarely getting out of second gear.

My 1.6l petrol hybrid compact crossover is going to leave my 2.2L CX-5 eating dust in a drag race, use less fuel, and cost less to fuel up. The cx-5 is diesel though, so i might hang onto it for offroading in winter.


59 posted on 09/23/2022 1:13:44 AM PDT by MalPearce ("You see, but you do not observe". https://www.thefabulous.co/s/2uHEJdj)
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To: MalPearce

As a child around 70 years ago, I can remember my father getting excited about finding 23 cent a gallon gas. On the other hand in those days he was earning about $3,000 a year.

I know the dollar is close to the Euro in value, but have no idea how many pence or pounds equal a dollar or a Euro. So I am unable to evaluate the costs you have mentioned.


60 posted on 09/23/2022 10:42:51 PM PDT by gleeaikin (Question authority! .)
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