DA, WINNING
Posted on 10/30/2014 11:31:32 PM PDT by tcrlaf
Ukraine, Russia and the European Union signed a deal on Thursday that will see Moscow resume vital supplies of gas to its ex-Soviet neighbor over the winter in return for payments funded in part by Kiev's Western creditors.
After several failed rounds of talks in recent weeks as conflict rumbles on despite a ceasefire with pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, the accord also eases concerns that a new "gas war" could disrupt winter supplies if energy to EU states, notably through pipelines shut down across Ukraine since June.
With overnight temperatures already nudging below freezing in Ukraine, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso hailed an accord clinched in Brussels barely 24 hours before he and the rest of his team make way for a new EU executive.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I could be wrong, but I see this as a cave on the part of Putin. By signing, he gives up leverage he could have had by not signing a supply agreement. His hand was forced by $81 crude oil prices. He needs the money.
Ukraine, Moscow clinch deal on Russian natural gas supply
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/10/30/ukraine-moscow-clinch-deal-on-russian-natural-gas-supply/
The agreement long hinged on the question whether Ukraine was in a position to come up with the necessary cash to pay for the gas. “Yes, they are,” a confident Oettinger said. Oettinger said the $4.6 billion deal should extend through March.
“We can claim and pay for amounts that we need. That question has been totally settled,” said Yuriy Prodan, Ukrainian Minister for Energy. “There will be no problems.”
Under the deal, Ukraine would pay for its outstanding debt by making a $1.45 billion deposit without delay, and $1.65 billion by year’s end. The final sum of debt would be determined through arbitration.
For new gas, Russia will only deliver after pre-payment and Ukraine intends to buy some $1.5 billion by the end of December.
A predictable outcome...although its hard to fathom why any American conservative would push for such an arrangement.
And do what, exactly? Putin in not our problem. Debt is our problem, government power and corruption is our problem, open borders is our problem. Letting Muslims immigrate here by the thousands is our problem. Wasting our people and resources taking sides in a Muslim sectarian war in the Middle East is our problem.
It’s about time Europe took care of itself.
Wait until mid January when he will find a reason to turn off the pipeline and ask for total lift of the sanctions."Sure, I'll wait. But not for you to admit you were wrong..."
Well, I could be wrong or right, it really won't make a difference, because what I mentioned was an idea for a possible strategy he can play out. One is for sure; he will not beg for lifting the sanctions. It's not in his character.
Oh, by the way, I am far from being a Putinista. : - ) The guy still has the mentality of a KGB boss.
Yes, and we have absolutely no leaders (maybe a handful) to protect this great country in office now.
Will we elect any to come to our aid?
IMO, it will be up to the armed Citizens and Patriots to fix it.
For a pro-Russian FReeper, maybe.
DA, WINNING
Feel free to explain why American conservatives should support ANY increases in IMF spending...I’ll wait.
~It’s an interesting argument the Russians have . . . “let us invade them or you pay for it.”~
Freedom is never free, isn’t it? It makes literally no sense for Ukraine to pursue anti-Russian politics and still have Russia pay Ukraine’s bills.
Who argued more for Ukrainian ‘independence’? It is honest if they would pay the bills.
Why you should look at it in context of Russian or Western ‘win’ or ‘lose’?
And instead of thanking me for ‘bringing a Kremlin line here’, please explain what is fundamentally wrong about it, if you have any arguments at all.
Putin is very clever, savvy & sane. He is also very much a patriot, often asserting Russia’s ‘greatness’ from his viewpoint. One can’t hold that against him - that’s his call (am very indifferent toward him, btw), but that’s a pragmatic perspective. He often gets rather emotional when Russian national anthem is played. It’s revealing in a way..
And, Putin has & has had support from many Russians. Not because of his ex KGB backgrd, but because he is a patriot & ties what he can in the best interest of Russia.
ties=tries
Is it honest to attack a sovereign nation and take it over?
This is like making a deal with the devil. Yes, Russian action plain demonic.
We are talking about a gas deal here, ‘invasion’ is the whole different matter and I haven’t said a thing about it.
Sure you have. You’ve supported it from the beginning.
All I’m saying is making a deal with the devil is never a good idea.
What is your option? Let me guess: a ‘devil’ should provide for the ‘angel’ for free? True?
It isn't, and, America, too, has been making deals with devils she seems to think it can control. All in all, "Angels & Demons" - we are short of "angels".
Of course it makes no sense, which is why no one is making that argument. Except perhaps you, using it as a strawman.
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