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To: Kazan; Timber Rattler

Europe has several strategic interests in driving Russian forces out of occupied areas of The Ukraine.

All the hydrocarbon deposits that lured greedy gangster Putin to attack in the first place, can pay back war costs over the next couple of decades. International rule of law could be preserved, Russian military capability neutralized, and deterrence restored. Sea control over the Black Sea from Crimea will contain Russia and defend Ukraine from future aggression. And it is just the right thing to do.

As for the west’s “soft power” sanctions on Russia, Gazprom now operates at a loss, and the five year transit agreement for the Russian gas still flowing through Ukrainian pipelines expires at the end of 2024, after which Hungary, Slovakia and Austria will be untethered from Russian economic influence, and Russia untethered from that last big bit of Natural gas income from Europe, with no physical means to move that product to other customers. Putin squandered that Strategic market, for good.

Russia just announced another 500K BPD production cut on their crude oil, as well as another export ban on gasoline, this time for six more months (totaling 9 months out of 12, with the other recent ban) supposedly for “planned maintenance”. Not the best “planning” comrades.

Nazi Germany, like Putin’s fascist experiment of Novo North Korea in Russia, posted an increased GDP number and low unemployment, as they ran big budget deficits and printed money, to pour into the bonfire of the war. It was not real value being created, but rather a measure of how quickly they were expending value in the short term.

Europe’s gas storage emerged from their warm Winter with record high volumes on hand, which will drive prices lower over the Summer. Prices had already returned from the temporary highs at the start of the war when most of the Russian supply was shut off, and Nordstream pipelines were demolished. Europe is over the hump on transitioning to non-Russian suppliers, and the last of the land locked stragglers will have their Russian gas turned off by year’s end.

The end of an era, because of Putin killed the goose that laid the Golden eggs.


48 posted on 03/05/2024 8:52:33 PM PST by BeauBo ( )
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To: BeauBo
Europe has several strategic interests in driving Russian forces out of occupied areas of The Ukraine.

There is no scenario happen short of starting a hot war with Russia and, very likely, not even then.

And, there is absolutely NO will in this country or in any country in Europe for a NATO war with Russia.

Even 68% of the French oppose the idea.

So, there are two options -- Ukraine surrenders and saves what's left of Ukraine. Or Russia keeps going and takes as much territory as necessary to protect its borders.

You, apparently, however, want to turn Ukraine into Palestine. And, the people in Ukraine don't want that.

50 posted on 03/05/2024 9:04:06 PM PST by Kazan
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To: BeauBo
The Euro's DID get lucky with the weather. If they'd needed a "cold winter's worth" of LNG (and to a lesser degree, LPG), given the Houthis forcing almost all the gas that would normally go through the Suez Canal to take the long route around South Africa, some Euro's might have been a bit chilly about now. The reserves are not sufficient to suffice if Europe has a cold winter and loses both Russia and the ME as gas suppliers, esp. since Bite Me clamped down on US exports.
78 posted on 03/06/2024 4:46:57 PM PST by Paul R. (Bin Laden wanted Obama killed so the incompetent VP, Biden, would become President!)
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