Russian military uses large amounts of diesel to supply its southern front by way of the R280 road.
Posted on 10/15/2026 5:46:24 AM PDT by texas booster
Europe resents its dependence on American military power while criticizing Washington’s foreign policy, exposing the hypocrisy, insecurity, and economic decline undermining its global influence.
Nearly every week, another psychodrama arises between the United States and its NATO partners.
Europeans blame the Trump administration for the usual things—a lack of cordiality and bombastic threats.
But two truths, rarely spoken, characterize all these spats.
One is hypocrisy; the other is insecurity.
Take Trump’s recent demand that Ukraine cease attacks on Russian diesel refineries.
Given the midterms and the critical issue of fuel prices, it was understandable that Trump might request an energy “ceasefire.”
So both Russia and Ukraine were asked to stop their attacks on refineries to calm jittery global diesel markets and help stabilize sky-high prices.
But the American Left, the Ukrainians, and the Europeans went ballistic—given that the aggressor, Russia, is blanketing Ukrainian skies with missiles and drones, while Russia’s critical refining industry remains vulnerable to retaliatory Ukrainian drone attacks.
But the largest purchaser of Russian gas remains Europe. It has been since the start of the war.
For years, Europe literally laughed at Trump’s earlier appeals to close European pipelines to Russia and quit fueling Putin’s war machine.
Are we to assume that Europeans buying most of Russia’s natural gas is acceptable, but Americans asking both Putin and Zelensky not to attack fuel facilities, given the world oil crisis, is somehow a betrayal?
Some like-minded European ministers are still blasting the Trump administration’s supposed efforts to revamp NATO.
They damn the United States for pulling 11 B-1 strategic bombers out of a shared RAF–U.S. base in the United Kingdom.
The cause is usually omitted: the discovery of a dry-run terrorist operation to hit the base and destroy more than $3 billion worth of American bombers.
(Excerpt) Read more at amgreatness.com ...
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Perhaps Prime Minister Andy Burnham fears his own unassimilated, pro-Iranian Islamic immigrant voters far more than he feels the need to ensure that Americans are safe while protecting NATO interests.
Europeans are also angry that the United States will likely pull 5,000 troops out of Germany and deploy about the same number to frontline Poland, which is rapidly developing the largest and best-equipped military in Europe.
But again, why the American change of heart?
During the ongoing, eight-month-long Iran war, some NATO partners—France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom—either banned U.S. planes from their airspace or refused them landing rights at joint NATO–U.S. bases—or both. ...
So one reason Europe seems schizophrenic and hypocritical is that, while it takes for granted its past global influence, military power, and political stature, its current socialist economy cannot support either its staggering welfare costs or its military obligations.
Prof Hanson nails it again - the Euro-weenies are more afraid of US dominance than their own enemies.
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Thanks for posting. BUMP!
Setting America and President Trump aside, I believe that the Euros or at least a lot of the Euros, are fearful of a general declining reality for which there is no apparent solution.
The Euros can plainly see that the future of the world is in process East of Suez. That’s where all the action is.
“””Europe resents its dependence on American military power while criticizing Washington’s foreign policy, exposing the hypocrisy, insecurity, and economic decline undermining its global influence.”””
I really like how VDH summarizes European Psychosis in one brief sentence!!!!!
From over a year and a half ago. The major media took no note then, and continues to ignore this obvious informative statement by Polish Prime Minister Tusk, who had been President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019 . Deeply EU, that European Council is a "college of heads of state or government of European Union (EU) member states as well as the president of the European Commission."
“500 million Europeans are asking 300 million Americans to defend them against 140 million Russians. [...] Europe today lacks the belief that we are truly a global force.”Polish PM Donald Tusk, speaking before his flight to London for the European Ukraine summit: X, 2 March 2025
LOL, at this point Europeans are simply asking for us to be consistent in our foreign policy and not break the russian energy embargo with ever increasing purchases of russian energy.
Trump signed the Graham Sanctioning Russia Act a month ago, punishing countries for buying russian crude, and then after talking with Putin, announces we will be buying ever increasing amounts of diesel from Russia.
President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 (H.R. 5334) into law on September 18, 2026.
Key Details of the Law
• Tariffs on Russian Imports: Authorizes up to a 500% tariff on direct U.S. imports from Russia.
• Tariffs on Energy Buyers: Grants authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five countries that purchase Russian crude oil or natural gas (such as China and India) or facilitate sanctions evasion
In other threads, you've howled about sticking to a thread's topic. This one is "The Same Old, Same Old European Runaround."
Laughing Out Loud wants it both ways. The operative line of code seems to be "depending on...."
Tusk said what he said. One can hear Tusk say what he said.
Misdirection is misdirection.
Exporting crude oil is a major source of foreign exchange for Russia.
Exporting diesel is secondary.
Winter is soon to set in in Russia. Cars don’t go far in two feet or more of snow. The harvest is probably in.
The Russian army barely moves. It doesn’t need much gasoline or diesel.
“at this point Europeans are simply asking for us to be consistent in our foreign policy and not break the russian energy embargo with ever increasing purchases of russian energy.”
The whining here on FR about gasoline prices is ridiculous.
A commuter might drive 10 miles to and from work in a vehicle that gets over 20 miles to the gallon. If gasoline is up a dollar, that’s $1/day.
Unfortunately for Ukraine, American voters take such whining serious.
If two ships worth $20 million and $10 million are sunk, people here will moan and groan even though that amounts to a mere eight cents per American resident.
If Zelensky and Ukraine want Trump’s support, they need to support Trump and campaigning Republicans.
They need to call out and call off Democrats and some posters here braying over ~$1/day on average, about six minutes of pay for a $12/hour worker.
Trump deal on russian diesel is too little and way too late to change US diesel prices before Nov 3. Even if russia delivers all of the agreed diesel (300,000 tons of diesel before Nov 3) estimates are it changes the diesel price by pennies.
"If we get diesel from Russia, basically it means that their existing customers are not going to get it and they'll have to go somewhere else, and that will keep the price basically where it is now," Michael Lynch, distinguished fellow at Energy Policy Research Foundation
Russian military uses large amounts of diesel to supply its southern front by way of the R280 road.
This doesn’t state the government’s options, but it does indicate that fuel increases might be considered actionable:
https://thward.co.uk/2026/04/08/price-gouging-and-the-governments-new-response/
Yeah......no they're not. There is no "Russian energy embargo". The Europeans have kept right on buying Russian energy - FAR more than the US has.
One tractor-trailer might be able to supply enough food to feed the Russian service people on Crimea for a week.
A tractor-trailer might get five miles to a gallon. To go 400 miles each way would mean 160 gallons gets used.
Your map seems to indicate attacks are mainly near cities, suggesting but not proving civilian food supply is under attack.
*******************************
Read up on “teapot” refineries.
“three bankrupt refineries resurrected under new owners, now lining up for quotas of their own — and Beijing’s attempt to control overcapacity”
“overcapacity” “bankrupt”
The Russian military might buy one of the now crude-deprived refineries and send its parts to Russia and guard it well.
by “Tsvetana Paraskova”:
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Chinas-Teapot-Refineries-Cut-Operations-to-Their-Lowest-Level-Since-2017.html
Europe is reducing its Russian energy purchases, the UK for instance is ending all purchases in Jan 2027. Now the US is INCREASING its purchases of Russian fuel.
The US is buying a very small amount of Diesel. Europe has been buying large amounts of natural gas and oil for years now.
“Trump deal on russian diesel is too little and way too late to change US diesel prices before Nov 3. Even if russia delivers all of the agreed diesel (300,000 tons of diesel before Nov 3) estimates are it changes the diesel price by pennies.”
What is necessary is to squeeze the speculators.
If the December price might be made $1 lower, the speculators will sell out.
The oil companies will sell the diesel in their tanks at say $5.50 retail ASAP if they think they can replace it for 50 cents to a dollar less come December.
Ye, but EU is reducing and in some countries ending purchases, while we announce new, increasing purchases, one month after Trump signed the Graham Sanctioning Russia Act, which punishes countries for buying russian crude
The European Union is phasing out all Russian fossil fuel imports with a complete ban on Russian LNG by December 31, 2026, and pipeline gas by September 30, 2027
The EU plans to phase out remaining Russian oil imports by the end of 2027
Russian gas share dropped from roughly 45% before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine down to about 12% as of late 2025/2026
Europeans are only happy when killing Jews or each other.
Honor demands it.
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