Moscow halts gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria

[1srelluc]

Russia has cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, both members of the European Union and NATO, intensifying its confrontation with Ukraine's allies in a move the continent's leaders labeled “gas blackmail.”

Russia’s state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom said early Wednesday it had suspended gas supplies to the two countries after they refused to pay for the shipments in rubles.

Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow halts gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria

Oh shit, I guess Tater will be sending them billions we don't have.

 

[Darkwind]

Or is that 'Black gasmail? I can never keep those two apart.

 

[wamose]

Frack baby, frack.

 

[Polishprince]

If the customer refuses to pay- what would you have the Russian Federation do?

 

[ESay]

If the customer refuses to pay- what would you have the Russian Federation do?

Not quite true. The customer is ready to pay, but in euros or the US dollars as it was agreed in the contracts. Not in Russian rubles.

 

[1srelluc]

Not quite true. The customer is ready to pay, but in euros or the US dollars as it was agreed in the contracts. Not in Russian rubles.

 

[ESay]

Ten European companies have opened accounts in Gazprombank for payments in rubles. Four of them already made their payments.

Four European Gas Buyers Made Ruble Payments to Russia

Four European gas buyers have already paid for supplies in rubles as President Vladimir Putin demanded, according to a person close to Russian gas giant Gazprom PJSC.

www.bloomberg.com

I'll bet that German and Austrian ones were in the first ranks.

 

[martybegan]

Frack baby, frack.

That only helps if 1) The US and Western Europe upped its gas production and 2) the second this Ukrainian thing started they began working on shipping and offloading infrastructure needed to get gas from alternative sources (Mostly the US and the North Sea).

 

[Woodznutz]

Gee, who could've seen that coming.

 

[ESay]

That only helps if 1) The US and Western Europe upped its gas production and 2) the second this Ukrainian thing started they began working on shipping and offloading infrastructure needed to get gas from alternative sources (Mostly the US and the North Sea).

And begin to restrict those European companies that don't comply with imposed sanctions.

 

[martybegan]

And begin to restrict those European companies that don't comply with imposed sanctions.

Aren't most of the energy companies in the European market government or quasi-government entities?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Russia has cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, both members of the European Union and NATO, intensifying its confrontation with Ukraine's allies in a move the continent's leaders labeled “gas blackmail.”

Russia’s state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom said early Wednesday it had suspended gas supplies to the two countries after they refused to pay for the shipments in rubles.

Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow halts gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria

Oh shit, I guess Tater will be sending them billions we don't have.

Biden will have America pay for it (10% to the Big Guy)

 

[ESay]

Aren't most of the energy companies in the European market government or quasi-government entities?

Basically yes. What is your point? That sanctions against them will mean sanctions on European governments?

 

[martybegan]

Basically yes. What is your point? That sanctions against them will mean sanctions on European governments?

That the current sanctions ignored gas and oil mostly, because Western Europe is dependent on Russian supplies. That gave Russia the gavel in this specific situation, and they are using it via ignoring current contracts and saying payments must be in Rubles.

 

[Woodznutz]

That the current sanctions ignored gas and oil mostly, because Western Europe is dependent on Russian supplies. That gave Russia the gavel in this specific situation, and they are using it via ignoring current contracts and saying payments must be in Rubles.

Initially this will raise the value of the ruble, but eventually it will cause inflation in Russia, and the U.S. dollar and other currencies will still undergird the Russian economy.

 

[ESay]

That the current sanctions ignored gas and oil mostly, because Western Europe is dependent on Russian supplies. That gave Russia the gavel in this specific situation, and they are using it via ignoring current contracts and saying payments must be in Rubles.

Yes, that is true. And that is why some European nations were reluctant on imposing any measures against Russia.

Also, true is that these supplies can't be stopped overnight, because it will be a significant blow for European economy and utility companies.

I don't know what the EU' response will be. It is an odd situation when some countries are cut off while some others keep paying in rubles.

European over-dependecy on Russian energy supplies has been discussed for years, but some countries didn't want to hear anything. My personal choice would be to sanction heavily their energy monopolies for cooperating with Russia and let their bottoms freeze in the winter. But that won't happen, of course.

 

[MisterBeale]

U.S. wants Russian military ‘weakened’ from Ukraine invasion, Austin says​

U.S. wants Russian military ‘weakened’ from Ukraine invasion, Austin says

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, after visiting Kyiv, said Russia should not be able to "do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine."

web.archive.org

“We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine,” Austin said.
Austin was in Poland, answering questions from reporters after a brief trip Sunday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Kyiv, where the pair met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials.

The defense secretary was asked how he defined “America’s goals for success” in Ukraine. He first said Washington wants to see “Ukraine remain a sovereign country, a democratic country, able to protect its sovereign territory.”

Then, he said, the United States hopes Russia will be “weakened” by the war. “It has already lost a lot of military capability and a lot of its troops, quite frankly, and we want to see them not have the capability to very quickly reproduce that capability,” Austin said.. . "

US Secretary of Defense Admits the Real Strategic Goal in Ukraine: Quagmire for Russia​

Opinion | US Secretary of Defense Admits the Real Strategic Goal in Ukraine: Quagmire for Russia

"The United States and other states must be ready to lift war-related sanctions and to accept and support some form of neutrality for Ukraine should Ukraine choose that."

www.commondreams.org

The Sec. of Defense Just Admitted It!​