Should we keep up the pressure on Russia?

[hipeter924]

MOSCOW—Russia’s economy and budget may suffer if low oil prices and Western sanctions persist for some time, government ministers warned Friday.

In the government’s clearest acknowledgment so far of the pain Western sanctions and lower oil prices have inflicted on the economy, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the government may need to cut its budget spending for the next three years. Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev, meanwhile, said if the ruble continues to weaken, the economy may contract next year.

Russia’s economy is suffering from falling oil prices, as oil revenue makes up about half of the state budget revenue, while the sanctions imposed by the West in response to Moscow’s policy toward Ukraine have almost shut the global financial markets to Russian companies.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/russ...get-spending-finance-minister-says-1414158145
On one hand, the sanctions coupled with lower oil prices seem to be hurting Russia, which will limit their ability to spend as large sums on their military, and make further incursions beyond Ukraine more difficult:

(Reuters) - Russia's finance minister said on Tuesday the country could no longer afford a multi-billion-dollar revamp of the armed forces approved by President Vladimir Putin, stepping up a campaign to trim spending as sanctions over the Ukraine crisis bite.

Finance minister warns Russia can t afford military spending plan Reuters
On the other hand, it is doubtful that it will sway Putin, considering that Russians will just blame the west, and it just seems to strengthen him politically at home:

Putin has accused the US of trying to cast Russia as a danger to the rest of the world and forcing its allies to impose sanctions against Moscow over the Ukrainian crisis.

Putin says sanctions against Russia won t work SBS News

 

[TheOldSchool]

Absolutely we should keep it up. You said it yourself it's hurting them as far as spending on the military and other areas.

If you're worried that support for Putin will increase then you're nuts. Because Putin controls how much support there is for him at all times.

Sanctions? Screw the west support me!

No sanctions? Look how I beat the west support me!

 

[hipeter924]

Absolutely we should keep it up. You said it yourself it's hurting them as far as spending on the military and other areas.

Well another reason is that Russia will refuse to listen, or to change its policies whether we keep the sanctions or not.

If you're worried that support for Putin will increase then you're nuts. Because Putin controls how much support there is for him at all times.

Sanctions? Screw the west support me!

No sanctions? Look how I beat the west support me!

Putin has won more support from nationalists in Russia by intervening in Ukraine, through gay bashing; and shutting down media that disagrees with him would have helped too: Vladimir Putin rides wave of patriotism despite Russia s economic woes - Washington Times

When asked who they blame, however, neither Ms. Bragina nor Mr. Dubov held Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for the soaring cost of living.

Ms. Bragina was unsure of the exact causes behind the dramatic price increases, while Mr. Dubov said he believes the U.S. is unhappy at “Russia’s growing global influence” and is attempting to “put us in our place.”

These attitudes are reflected in public opinion polls here. Mr. Putin’s approval ratings top 80 percent, while the Kremlin’s ban on Western food products has received the support of almost 60 percent of the country, according to a survey carried out this month by the independent, Moscow-based Levada-Center pollster.

In another opinion poll carried out by the Levada-Center this month, 59 percent of respondents said they are not concerned by Russia’s growing international isolation.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

What happened to the Obama Reset?

Flexibility?

 

[TheOldSchool]

Absolutely we should keep it up. You said it yourself it's hurting them as far as spending on the military and other areas.

Well another reason is that Russia will refuse to listen, or to change its policies whether we keep the sanctions or not.

If you're worried that support for Putin will increase then you're nuts. Because Putin controls how much support there is for him at all times.

Sanctions? Screw the west support me!

No sanctions? Look how I beat the west support me!

Putin has won more support from nationalists in Russia by intervening in Ukraine, through gay bashing; and shutting down media that disagrees with him would have helped too: Vladimir Putin rides wave of patriotism despite Russia s economic woes - Washington Times

When asked who they blame, however, neither Ms. Bragina nor Mr. Dubov held Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for the soaring cost of living.

Ms. Bragina was unsure of the exact causes behind the dramatic price increases, while Mr. Dubov said he believes the U.S. is unhappy at “Russia’s growing global influence” and is attempting to “put us in our place.”

These attitudes are reflected in public opinion polls here. Mr. Putin’s approval ratings top 80 percent, while the Kremlin’s ban on Western food products has received the support of almost 60 percent of the country, according to a survey carried out this month by the independent, Moscow-based Levada-Center pollster.

In another opinion poll carried out by the Levada-Center this month, 59 percent of respondents said they are not concerned by Russia’s growing international isolation.

Keep it up. Dubya did the same thing and look what happened. Give it a little more time.

 

[Tom Sweetnam]

Russia is doing nothing but protecting the lives of several million ethnic Russian Ukrainians, who the current Ukrainian fascist government wants so dearly to massacre. Ukraine's fascist army isn't so ambitious now that spetsnaz started kicking their ass. Please don't confuse this for support of Putin. I support any minority (like Israel...like the Kurds...like ethnic Russians in Ukraine) surrounded by brutes who enshrine the idea of genocide.

The people I detest are those in Washington and Wall Street's halls of power, who already have Ukraine carved up in nice edible slices, so they can go in there after the fact and rape Ukraine just like Soviet's did, no matter how many thousands have to die in order for them to realize their ambitions. Our own vice president is one of the vultures.

 

[Katzndogz]

What happened to the Obama Reset?

Flexibility?

Putin spanks obama.

Putin Spanks Obama in New Russian Propaganda Art Gallery - Hit Run Reason.com

Wouldn't you just love to have a framed print of that one.

 

[toxicmedia]

MOSCOW—Russia’s economy and budget may suffer if low oil prices and Western sanctions persist for some time, government ministers warned Friday.

In the government’s clearest acknowledgment so far of the pain Western sanctions and lower oil prices have inflicted on the economy, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the government may need to cut its budget spending for the next three years. Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev, meanwhile, said if the ruble continues to weaken, the economy may contract next year.

Russia’s economy is suffering from falling oil prices, as oil revenue makes up about half of the state budget revenue, while the sanctions imposed by the West in response to Moscow’s policy toward Ukraine have almost shut the global financial markets to Russian companies.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/russ...get-spending-finance-minister-says-1414158145
On one hand, the sanctions coupled with lower oil prices seem to be hurting Russia, which will limit their ability to spend as large sums on their military, and make further incursions beyond Ukraine more difficult:

(Reuters) - Russia's finance minister said on Tuesday the country could no longer afford a multi-billion-dollar revamp of the armed forces approved by President Vladimir Putin, stepping up a campaign to trim spending as sanctions over the Ukraine crisis bite.

Finance minister warns Russia can t afford military spending plan Reuters
On the other hand, it is doubtful that it will sway Putin, considering that Russians will just blame the west, and it just seems to strengthen him politically at home:

Putin has accused the US of trying to cast Russia as a danger to the rest of the world and forcing its allies to impose sanctions against Moscow over the Ukrainian crisis.

Putin says sanctions against Russia won t work SBS News

We've been putting pressure on Russia?......really?