Maybe because our grandfathers and fathers did the same in 1941-1945, and later - till about 1960s - at the West of Ukraine?
Printable View
Don't forget the Chinese troops sent by the-then government to Vladivostok (Hǎishēnwǎi) at the request of the Chinese merchant community in the Russian Far East for their protection - about 1600 soldiers and 700 support personnel (https://books.openedition.org/ceup/1231?lang=en) Of course, the region had been Chinese territory until the 1858 Treaty of Aigun of 1858 and the 1860 Treaty of Peking. Given the desire of the present PRC government to unite under their banner all the lands and territories seen by them as previously part of the Chinese Empire, they'll probably want the territory back soon.
The Galinfo report is dated MONDAY, JULY 20TH, 2013.
The headline states "In Lviv region reburied 16 soldiers of the division "Galicia."
The text refers specifically to searchers who "found a sanitary burial of the victims of the Second World War. In the common grave, which in its size reached 2x2 meters and was 1.2 meters deep, the remains of sixteen people rested. According to the searchers of kp ENT "Dolya", the found remains belong to the soldiers of the division "Galicia", which in July 1944 as part of the Wehrmacht troops participated in the battle known in history as the "Brody boiler". The fact that the remains belong to the soldiers - divisional soldiers is confirmed by the artifacts found in the research excavation of the grave: remnants of fabric from uniforms, buttons from German uniforms, shoes, rings, awards and other things of military ammunition."
It notes at the end, "However, the specialists of the KR ENT "Dolya" have some doubts that all the remains belong to the soldiers of the division. One of the awards in the excavation, the so-called Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, with a swastika and the specified year of 1939, could not belong to a soldier-divisional. Therefore, as the director of the enterprise Svyatoslav Sheremet stressed, there are reasons to say that among the buried in the grave are the remains of at least one Wehrmacht soldier."
So, the bodies found and reburied may all be those of Ukrainian dead, or Slovak dead (the division also contained Slovaks), or German dead, or some combination thereof.
Today's (June 4: 12.53) Galinfo contains the following information:
Russian invaders continue to suffer heavy losses on Ukrainian soil.
Thus, according to the General Staff, the total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 04.06 are approximately:
personnel - about 31,050 (+100) military personnel,
tanks - 1376 (+9),
armored combat vehicles - 3379 (+13),
artillery systems - 680 (+5),
MLRS - 207 (+0),
air defense means - 95 (+0),
aircraft - 210 (+0),
helicopters - 175 (+0),
Tactical-level UAVs - 540 (+5),
cruise missiles - 122 (+1),
ships/boats - 13 (+0),
automotive machinery and tanker trucks - 2337 (+8),
special equipment - 52 (+1).
The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the Zaporizhzhya direction.
The data is being clarified (https://galinfo.com.ua/).
More small minded Russian lies and propaganda again...
The part I like the most is how apparently, China is doing military exercises on their north eastern border with Russia, and may pull the trigger and invade Russia:
https://www.theklaxon.com.au/home/ch...-border-drills
If you think about the oil supplies, and the fact that those oil fields in eastern Russia are going to run dry in 24 - 36 months due to Western companies pulling out which China simply can't allow, then it makes sense.
Now wouldn't that be a cool twist of fate? China invades Russia to secure their own energy supply, haha.
Victims??? Nazi.
The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Galician) (German: 14. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS [galizische Nr. 1],[2] Ukrainian: 14а Гренадерська Дивізія СС (1а галицька)), prior to 1944 titled the 14th SS-Volunteer Division "Galicia" (German: 14. SS-Freiwilligen Division "Galizien", Ukrainian: 14а Добровільна Дивізія СС "Галичина"), was a World War II German military formation made up predominantly of military volunteers with a Ukrainian ethnic background from the area of Galicia (me; i.e. Western Ukraine), later also with some Slovaks. Formed in 1943, it was largely destroyed in the battle of Brody in the fight with USSR army.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_W...(1st_Galician)
They are "victims" only in the eyes of the same Nazi like they were. They are volunteered in SS. Nobody forced them.
And you support them. Shame.
Kiev 1943:
Attachment 12624
Kiev 2022:
Attachment 12625
dab69, one more attempt to vandalize board by posting here Nazi symbols without any comments, and I will ban you for 3 months.
It is moderator's warning, you can't reply on it in public forum (see Rules).
1. The word "victim" is that used in the article from which I quoted - it is not my original usage.
2. A war victim is defined as "A person that suffers from the destructive action undertaken as a result of an armed conflict between two or more parties, particularly death, injury, hardship, loss of property or dislocation" (https://www.eionet.europa.eu/gemet/en/concept/13324). Soldiers killed in a war are war victims.
3. I was not questioning, and do not question, the ethnic composition of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, and my response was not about that topic. I was responding to your posting about the funeral of three bodies found in a common grave with 13 others, where items found with the bodies indicated at least one of them was probably a German. I was questioning the assumed ethnicity of the bodies being buried. On the balance of probability, the remains may all be of Ukrainian ethnicity but in the absence of DNA testing (which was not done), the ethnic composition (or perhaps decomposition) of the trio buried remains only a probability, not the certainty that you have assumed.
4. Despite the dezinformatsiya (дезинформация) invented by Stalin and spread by Putin, Ukrainian members of this Division were NOT Nazis. NAZI is a contraction of Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP), or the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. To be a Nazi, someone had to be a member of the NSDAP. To become a member of the NSDAP, a person had to be either (a) a German national, or (b) a member of an approved Volksdeutsche group, i.e. “people whose language and culture had German origins but who did not hold German citizenship.” So, by the rules of the Nazi Party, there were no Ukrainian Nazis.
5. Members of the Division were certainly volunteers who may have sympathized with Nazi ideology, OR they may have been men from Western Ukraine (also known as Galicia) who had little to no loyalty towards the USSR because the Soviet Army had seized the territory during the USSR's invasion of Poland in September 1939. Nationalists in Western Ukraine were Nazi collaborators because they hoped that their efforts would enable them to re-establish an independent state. This is a part of USSR history that Putin would like people to forget - perhaps because of the actions of the USSR's Destruction Battalions in Galicia. You and Putin don't know the reasons why those buried had joined the Galicia Division after it was formed in 1943 (i.e., some 3-4 years after the Soviet Union had seized Western Ukraine) - and neither do I.
6. I have never written, stated or implied in any of my postings that I "support them." I am not responsible for any inferences you may draw from my questioning of, or responses to, your postings.
As the answer to embargo on export to Russia chips and processors, Russia declared ban of export gas neon.
Neon is used in lasers for lithography during chips and processors manufacturing. Russia controls 90% of neon import to US (Russia 100% supplies neon to 2 Ukrainian purification plants which supply US) and about 60-65% of world neon market. Rest of neon market is controlled by China.
Since February neon prices grew 4 times already.
I think at next few weeks we will hear about processors and chips embargo lifting.
While it is correct that the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg Trial declared the SS "a criminal organization" in 1946, this is just another example of your continued practice of citing past events (in this case, 75 years ago) to justify present activities - something for which you have criticized others, including me.
Actually, as Reuters reported two day ago, Russia "limits" exports of noble gases, a key ingredient for making chips," until the end of 2022 to strengthen its market position. A limitation is not an embargo (which is an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country), and "Exports of noble gases, which Russia used to supply to Japan and other countries, will be allowed only with special state permission until Dec. 31, the Russian government said on May 30" (https://www.reuters.com/technology/r...ps-2022-06-02/).
The Reuters report also cites the Russian Trade Ministry representative as saying "Russia accounts for 30% of the global supply of three noble gases - neon, krypton and xenon, according to the ministry's estimate."
This limitation will make it more difficult for Russia to obtain chips at any price. It has already been widely reported that, since the announcement of restrictions on technology exports in February 2022, that Russia has had difficulty obtaining microchips to replenish its supply of precision guided munitions (including reports it is using chips from home appliances, washing machines and refrigerators - https://www.washingtonpost.com/techn...fect-military/). If such home appliances break down and cannot be repaired, the mood of the great Russian public towards the "special military operation" may change, leading to domestic dissatisfaction with the war and with the current political regime.
Firms like Rostselmash (whose share of the world's combine harvester market you boasted about earlier) and Avtovaz (maker of the Lada Niva) which rely on imported electronic components have had to shut down already (https://www.motor1.com/news/572548/l...halted-russia/). Russian military weapons (from its Pantsir air defense systems to its Ka-52 “Alligator” attack helicopters) are packed with foreign micro-chips (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...ign-microchips), and repairing or replacing them has just got more difficult.
Taiwanese semi-conductor manufacturers TSMC and UMC (which together accounted for almost 75% of the global market by revenue in 2021 - Statistica) are known to regularly conduct risk assessments of all critical materials, and are careful to always have up to a year's supply of the most important gases like neon and argon on hand or secured through contracts. The two companies have also been looking for alternative sources of such gases since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure production continuity. Most chip-makers, including those in Taiwan, have already kept high levels of neon on hand because of the previous shock of likely Russia-Ukraine tensions in and after 2014. Suppliers have also developed ways to use recycled neon. And "Russia is a small market for the chip industry and its invasion of Ukraine doesn’t represent a threat to global chip supplies, America’s Semiconductor Industry Association said on Thursday, February 24th" - https://asiatimes.com/2022/02/taiwan...ine-war-risks/).
I assume that the competent Russian authorities have considered the effect of this decision on the economies of those countries which have not declared sanctions on Russia but which rely on micro-chips in their own domestic economies and daily lives - and how they might react?
I expect you will have to wait more than the "next few weeks" to "hear about processors and chips embargo lifting." The "next few weeks" may be something like Putin's claim "Russian forces 'could conquer Ukraine capital in two weeks" (https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...kiev-fortnight) (and Yes, I acknowledge the claim was in 2014, but this year seems important in your Russian mythology).
again a lot of lines from February...
dear, could you please use Google tools and limit there to at least May?
whole industry is in panic already, even Intel:
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger warns microprocessor shortages likely to run into 2024 due to Ukraine invasion and China lockdowns.
https://supplychaindigital.com/logis...queezes-supply
And that was even before Russian neon embargo (that you call "limitation"). Are you so naïve to think what Russia will sell neon to "unfriendly" countries? All joined to sanction countries will meet countersanctions.
Russian minister clearly stated in political correct words what will be next, read him:
"We plan to increase our production capacity (of noble gases) in the near future. We believe that we will have an opportunity to be heard in this global chain, and this will give us some competitive advantage if it is necessary to build mutually beneficial negotiations with our colleagues," Shpak said.
My habit - it is you and Putin who keep referring to events from WWII and 2014 as an excuse for the current special military operation!
Any person who was a member of the Waffen-SS when it was disbanded on 8 May 1945 or a former member when declared a criminal organization in 1946 is long dead, so "were" would be the correct past tense form.
Protests in Germany against sending weapons to Ukraine
Attachment 12628
I will limit sources quoted to May 2022 if you stop quoting events in WWII and/or 2014.
The "whole industry" is not in a panic - the news hasn't yet been mentioned in Taiwanese press - using Google's 24 hour limit on reports.
Do you seriously think that the present "special military operation" will last another two years and affect microprocessor availability in 2024?
I didn't call it a "limitation" - "limit" and "restriction" are the terms used in English-language reports such as, e.g., this from Tass, "3 Jun, 02:36
Inert gas export restriction to strengthen Russia’s position on microelectronics market. Russia restricted exports of inert gases, including neon, to unfriendly states in late May" (https://tass.com/economy/1459877?utm...rer=google.com).
I never mentioned anything about Russia selling to "unfriendly nations" in my posting, but those are the words used in reports such as that from Tass referenced above. But Deputy Trade Minister Vasily Shpak is quoted as saying, "Exports of noble gases, which Russia used to supply to Japan and other countries, will be allowed only with special state permission until Dec. 31, the Russian government said on May 30 (https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/russ...172858402.html). I though Japan was one of those "unfriendly countries."
Deputy Trade Minister Vasily Shpak may say such things - you didn't actually provide a link to the source, though, so I found another one at https://www.usnews.com/news/world/ar...r-making-chips. But we already know how well the present Russian government's plans work - like that for the rapid conquest of Ukraine.
However, you should note that all of the noble gases are present in Earth’s atmosphere and, except for helium and radon, their major commercial source is the air, from which they are obtained by liquefaction and fractional distillation. Most helium is produced commercially from certain natural gas wells in the US, Qatar, etc. Radon usually is isolated as a product of the radioactive decomposition of radium compounds. Other countries can, and probably will, ramp up their production of those noble gases that are present in the world's atmosphere, and seek alternatives to helium (such as argon and hydrogen where its flammable nature is not an issue) where possible - and go with party balloons filled with it. Moreover, as I noted in my earlier post, firms have been introducing ways of conserving, recovering and recycling neon in chip manufacturing since its price rose in 2014 from roughly $1,000 for a 6,000-liter bottle of the gas, to approximately $6,000 for the same quantity in late 2015. when Russia seized Crimea.
Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
Are you kidding? I'm citing history. I understand what it disturb you because there is no argumentation why Ukraine uses Nazi and accepts Nazi ideology.
As per 2014 - it is where whole story started: nationalist coup and bombing East of Ukraine by current nationalist govt. Everything started there: inspired by US coup -> bombing of East of Ukraine by Ukrainian air forces -> ignorance of Minsk protocol for almost 8 years -> Recognizing of Donetsk and Lugansk as sovereign states by Russia -> Russian military operation
Pro-Russian rally, Frankfurt, Germany, April 10, 2022
Attachment 12629
Attachment 12630
The line under the photo reads, "“Supply weapons? No!” reads a banner in Berlin. The anti-militarist mindset has been a powerful force in postwar German politics." You do not give a link to the photo, so it is taken out of context.
It comes from an article entitled "WAR IN UKRAINE | COMMENT. Never again? Germany’s timid leaders are failing to learn from history. The chancellor’s decision to refuse Ukraine the weapons it really needs is inexcusable, argues a senior editor at Germany’s bestselling newspaper," published in The Times on April 22, 2022 (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/n...tory-ssjj3vhsl).
You don't mention those demonstrations in favor of sending arms, though.
Why can you post material from April but demand I limit mine to May?? Or this this an example of double standards?
it is not news - it is argument against "only you and Putin"
just reminder: even under heaviest pressure from US and EU, only 20% of countries in world supports sanctions against Russia...
Premier-minister of Pakistan said straightforward to such pressure: "Are we your slaves to follow your orders?".
https://twitter.com/incontextmedia/s...46987494576130
As about doubled standards: do you want to discuss Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Vietnam?
I don't know about you guys, but I'm still waiting for that news headline to popup that says China has invaded Russia to secure the oilfields in eastern Russia.
That will be a good day.
The photos come from an article published by Reuters on April 11, 2022, entitled "Ukraine supporters outnumber pro-Russians in German protests" (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...rs-2022-04-10/). I guess you forgot that bit of information.
The rest of your post simply recites what you have posted before, nothing new, but again ignores the point that Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia is not a party to the Minsk protocols.
Selectively citing from history is propaganda. Let's also the series of pogroms against Jews in the city of Odessa, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire, that took place during the 19th and early 20th centuries - in 1821, 1859, 1871, 1881 and 1905. Or those in the 20th century. Or those in Kyiv between 1918 and 1921, carried out by a number of groups including the Volunteer Army, a faction of the Russian White Army. Or the Holodymyr (or Holodomor if you prefer the Russian rather than Ukrainian translation), Stalin's man-made famine which killed roughly 3.5 million to 7 million people (with some estimates going higher) in Ukraine in 1932-33, part of a wider famine also affecting Kazakhstan and other parts of the Soviet Union, and which is now considered genocide in Ukraine. Or the 1941 NKVD Prison Massacres in Western Ukraine when, during the German invasion of the USSR, the Soviet Secret Police (NKVD) murdered between 10,000 and 40,000 political prisoners in Western Ukraine over the course of eight days.
Or let's discuss the use of rape as a tool of warfare, given the reports that Russian soldiers have raped not only women but also men and small boys. Soviet soldiers were notorious for raping women in the territories they occupied during and immediately after World War II. When Joseph Stalin learned that his soldiers were engaging in mass rape in occupied areas, he made light of it, saying that they were merely “having a little fun.” In Ukraine over the past several weeks, Russian soldiers have earned a similar reputation by engaging in widespread rape, and leaders in the Kremlin once again view the practice with equanimity and have made no effort to curtail it. When Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, was asked about sexual crimes perpetrated by Russian soldiers in Bucha, he replied that the accusations were mere “lies” and “fabrications.” Or the fact that this "special military operation is remarkably similar to Russian incursions in WWII (https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/202...ii-mark-kramer).
Let's also discuss that fact that over 92% of Ukrainians voted for independence, or the fact the Ukrainian Russian-speakers are abandoning Russian as their language (https://www.npr.org/2022/04/24/10945...g-the-language) because they don't support what Putin is doing.
If, which I dispute, my comments are "only you and Putin," it is because history is full of incidents that would parallel the present situation but which are not relevant to the fact that Putin's excuse is a fabric of lies.
The Economist ran an article entitled "Russia can count on support from many developing countries, Wednesday, 30th March, 2022 (https://www.eiu.com/n/russia-can-cou...ing-countries/), citing an EIU study that shows that two-thirds of the world’s population lives in neutral or Russia-leaning countries regarding war in Ukraine. By Global GDP 70.5% of countries support sanctions or are West-leaning, and 10.1% are neutral. with China and India accounting for nearly two-thirds of this group’s economic footprint. By global population, 36.4% support sanctions or are west-leaning, and 32.1% are neutral. Of the remainder, only 3.9 % are "supportive" of Russia.
With regard to Imran Khan, his views are now irrelevant as he is the FORMER Prime Minister of Pakistan because he lost a no-confidence vote. However, earlier it was reported on February 22 that "Pakistan's PM Urges Peaceful End to Ukraine Crisis Ahead of Visit to Russia" (https://www.voanews.com/amp/pakistan...a/6454099.html). He was also reported as supportive of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
You asked, "do you want to discuss Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Vietnam?" Yes, but only if you want to discuss Russian involvement in the Korean War, the Hungarian revolution, the invasion of Czechoslovakia, and the invasion of Afghanistan, and its involvement in a host of civil wars ranging from the Yemen to Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, etc. Not excluding its war with Georgia and its involvement in Tajikistan and Moldova/Transnistria, of course.
[QUOTE=cdnmatt;291074]
I don't know about you guys, but I'm still waiting for that news headline to popup that says China has invaded Russia to secure the oilfields in eastern Russia./QUOTE]
Maybe Russia should join NATO?
What happened!
Did everyone here die at the same time?
I was thinking the same thing, Dodger, maybe everyone went and signed-up with the International Legion of Ukraine and are undergoing intensive training. We can only hope, right....NOT!
Dragonman, nice to know that you and Dodger are still with the living. Take care, BE safe!
You could comment this:
Attachment 12672
As usual, you give no link to the item you posted, so it is difficult to respond to something that is presented without context – something on which I have commented previously. Posting "photo_2022-06-24_21-54-35.jpg" on Google produces no results.
I have identified however the articles listed in the left-hand column and will comment on those.
The Guardian headline is from an article by Oliver Bullough, published on Friday February 6, 2015, when Petro Poroshenko was Ukrainian president. It is as relevant to the present situation as the report from TPI that Russia is Europe's most corrupt country, at https://www.eu-ocs.com/russia-remain...-international of January 29, 2020. Russia retained that position in 2021, but slipped 29 places in the global rankings (https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021).
The report from Reuters is by Josh Cohen on March 20, 2018, and is marked as “Updated 4 years ago" (sic) (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-c...-idUSKBN1GV2TY). The updating comment speaks for itself in showing its relevance to the current situation. More relevant is the report “Putin’s fascists: the Russian state’s long history of cultivating homegrown neo-Nazis”, published online on March 21, 2022 7.05pm GMT at https://theconversation.com/putins-f...o-nazis-178535.
You obviously haven’t read the Vox report (by Alex Ward on Sep 24, 2019,published online at https://www.vox.com/world/2019/9/24/...ident-zelensky) as the opening paragraphs state in full “At the center of the latest scandal threatening to take down President Donald Trump is a comedian who just became president of his country four months ago. The current crisis has to do with whether Trump improperly used his position to try to coerce Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into investigating Trump’s 2020 political opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden — perhaps by withholding military aid to the Eastern European country until it agreed.” Again, irrelevant to the present situation as Zelensky had been president for only four months at the time the article was written, and the article is mainly about Trump, not Zelensky.
Perhaps you should read “Trump’s Mysterious Relationship With Putin,” September 14, 2020, by Stephen Schlesinger (https://www.passblue.com/2020/09/14/...ip-with-putin/), which begins, “After President Trump’s nearly four years in office, we still do not have a good answer as to why the president has repeatedly deferred to Vladimir Putin on major issues. This is a central question that we face as a country, especially its consequences for American policies on Ukrainian sanctions, on the issue of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, on the trustworthiness of our United States intelligence agencies, recently also on the contretemps over possible Russian bounties for the killing of American soldiers in Afghanistan and finally on the US presidential election.”
The NewEurope report is by Oleg Sukhov, “A Kyiv-based reporter who moved to Ukraine from his native Russia in 2014. He previously worked as an independent opposition journalist for various publications in Russia and covers topics that include corruption, reforms, and politics in the former Soviet Union” (https://www.neweurope.eu/author/oleg-sukhov/). It was published on April 15, 2021, and updated on April 16, 2021. NewEurope proclaims itself to be “the only independent newspaper, published weekly, with no political affiliation and seeks to present factually-correct information in an accessible format.” As I don’t have a subscription to this publication, I cannot read Sukhov’s article in full. I can note, however, that NewEurope has also published such articles as “Why Russia needs to be isolated” (by Yuri Polakiwsky, June 23, 2022, update June 24, at https://www.neweurope.eu/article/why...o-be-isolated/), and “Europe’s “turning point” finally arrives after Russia’s sadistic invasion of Ukraine” (by US Congressman French Hill, published and updated June 23, 2022 at https://www.neweurope.eu/article/eur...on-of-ukraine/).
Oleg Sukhov’s entry on the website of The Kyiv Independent states, “Oleg Sukhov is a political reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He is a former editor and reporter at the Moscow Times. He has a master's degree in history from the Moscow State University. He moved to Ukraine in 2014 due to the crackdown on independent media in Russia and covered war, corruption, reforms and law enforcement for the Kyiv Post" (https://kyivindependent.com/author/oleg-sukhov). The fact that he can live and write such articles in Ukraine – but not in Russia – speaks volumes for the political differences between the two countries.
There is an English-language saying that "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," meaning that people who have faults should not criticize other people for having the same faults.
I've been missing this, Dragonman, thank you.......or, maybe I should I be thanking Moses?
Of course!
Again a lot of lines... But most funny fact is: you are quoting as a proof the same medias, that as we see, have changed their points of view 180 degree. They are like a weather vane - changing points of view with wills of owners. Today "nazi", tomorrow "hero". Just propaganda.
Meanwhile ruble is around 51 per USD, it becomes stronger and stronger, while officials from EU cries "we will not pay in rubles!", "sanctions!".
Does Western press is proud how strong USD is? (It is rhetorical question). Within past year ruble became 30% stronger against USD, 50% stronger against Japanese yen, 40% stronger against euro and pound.
Here is fifth week of deflation (it is bad for govt, but is very pleasant for people), forecast for yearly inflation is going lower and lower, while forecasts for inflation in US and European countries are going up and up.
In June Russia become oil supplier #1 for India and China, extra oil+gas income in Russian budget is now above $270 bln already, while EU and US cancel fuel taxes for to fight with historical high fuel prices and make preparations for gas rationing during incoming winter.
And everything what I described above is going with accompaniment of headlines in Western medias how "deep in shit Russia is from sanctions".
Western governments explains to own people what their situation with 9-20% inflation is "because of Putin". How else they will explain their fuckups? They can't say "We make you all victims of our miscalculations how sanctions will work", "you all will pay for our baseless political ambitions and blind proudness".
And one more funny fact is: everything what's going on, is going under control of American gerontocracy leading by mentally disabled president, who needs instructions to enter, sit, greet and talk "2 minutes", and even has no brains to keep his notes private:
Attachment 12678
"Within past year ruble became 30% stronger against USD, 50% stronger against Japanese yen, 40% stronger against euro and pound."
To put this in some perspective, consider the figures in reverse. The following is from https://www.exchangerates.org.uk/RUB...tory-2022.html, and details, and deals with the Russian Ruble to US Dollar Spot Exchange Rates for 2022, and gives the exchange rate history data page for the year of 2022, covering 175 days of RUB USD historical data for the first part of 2022:
Best exchange rate: 0.0186 USD on 21 Jun 2022.
Average exchange rate in 2022: 0.0132 USD.
Worst exchange rate: 0.007 USD on 07 Mar 2022.
On Saturday 1 January 2022, the ruble was worth $0.0134. On Friday June 24, 2022, the ruble was worth = $0.0185. A 30% increase in value against the US dollar is an infinitesimal amount (https://www.exchangerates.org.uk/RUB...tory-2022.html).
The increase in the value of the ruble versus the Japanese yen can be attributed to the policy of the Japanese government and is related more to the structural problems of Japan’s economy than anything else (see "A Weakening Yen Puts Japan to the Test" at https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g02125/). Other reasons for the changing value of the ruble versus other currencies are explained by the article "Russia’s Economy Is Tanking but the Ruble Soared. Here’s Why" at https://www.wsj.com/articles/russias...ng-11653559916), the explanation being "Russia’s central bank lowers interest rates, making holding rubles less attractive."
With regard to Russian deflation, did you read the following in The Moscow Times? "Economists agree that, if deflation continues, it should be seen as a sign of worse times to come. Traditionally, deflation is a sign of reduced demand in the economy - which means that a prolonged recession is likely looming. “What Putin’s remarks actually mean is that the economy is getting worse,” analyst Nick Trickett told The Moscow Times. “He is just trying to sell the public the idea that economic technocrats are going to do things that prevent prices of basic items like food from increasing.” (Explainer: What Does Russia’s ‘Zero-Inflation’ Mean? By Leyla Latypova, Updated: June 11, 2022, https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/...on-mean-a77952). Enjoy the Russian deflation while it lasts.
Western inflation, on the other hand, is exacerbated the the effects of Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, but is mainly driven (according to economists at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2022) by rising food and energy costs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic ("Why is inflation so high and will it stay that way? An economist explains," https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/...mist-explains/).
The so-called "Putin price hike" is a term used in the USA, and not more generally in western democracies. Last year, inflation there was blamed on General Secretary Xi JinPing. Don't assume all democratic governments use the same excuse.
Regarding President Biden's accidental exposure of his cue card, it is not uncommon for US and other politicians to have cue cards for speeches and meetings. The US far-right wing commentators have forgotten that Republic President Ronald Reagan also used them (and got more than merely cues (https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/26/u...ipts-show.html), as did Republican President Donald Trump (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ting-survivors) which were also revealed. Synonyms for cue cards include idiot sheets and teleprompters - which newsroom readers use.
If I were a resident of Mainland China or India, I would probably also be rejoicing that Russia is now the country's biggest oil supplier - considering the 30% discount price that the country is paying for Russian oil (see, e.g., https://energy.economictimes.indiati...china/92338251 and https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/rus...pplier/2613345).
With regard to the health of a country's president, would you like to explain why "Vladimir Putin mysteriously postpones marathon TV phone-in for first time in 18 years" (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/putin-myst...st-time-russia, 9 June 2022)? Is it, as the article suggests, because he has cancer, or is suffering from Parkinson's disease, or because Putin might be trying to dodge scrutiny about the faltering — and costly — invasion of Ukraine (you know, the one where generals where ordered to take Kyiv within a couple of days)? Is it because of the questions of his health?
Will some of the extra "oil+gas income in Russian budget is now above $270 bln already" be spent on outfitting Russian troops properly so that soldiers don't have to crowd-fund their own food, weapons, etc. (e.g., "Russians turn to crowdfunding for ill-equipped soldiers in Ukraine. Everything from rifle scopes to boots have been sent to troops, paid for by ‘patriots’ through fundraising initiatives, 5 June 2022, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-ne...ers-ukraine/)?
Or will it be siphoned off to buy more expensive watches ( Vladimir Putin’s $1 million luxury watch collection revealed. The Russian president boasts one of the most impressive collections of watches in politics. Here we list some of his most iconic pieces that he has amassed in his time in office including heavyweight names such as Patek Philippe, IWC and A. Lange & Söhne, 15/10/2021, https://somethingaboutrocks.com/arti...tion-revealed/), and expensive jackets such as that he wore when addressing a pro-special military operation rally in March 2022 (Putin’s expensive fashion - £10,000 coat, baffling workout gear and luxury watch collection. Vladimir Putin, recently 69, donned a Loro Piana jacket worth nearly 1.5million Russian roubles, equivalent to around £10,000, and he often favors designer outfits, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-...-coat-26517337), all of which he apparently pays for out of his Presidential salary of $US123,000 as he reports he has not other source of income or wealth (e.g., Panama Papers: Putin rejects corruption allegations, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35989560)?
With regard to your comment that "And everything what I described above is going with accompaniment of headlines in Western medias how "deep in shit Russia is from sanctions," would you like to comment also on the following - which is from a Russian banker? The headline is "Russian economy may need a decade to return to pre-sanctions levels, Sberbank says" (https://www.reuters.com/markets/euro...ys-2022-06-17/). The report cites German Gref, Sberbank CEO and a former economy minister, as noting that "countries that hit Russia with sanctions accounted for 56% of its exports and 51% of imports." "This is a threat to 15% of the country's gross domestic product, the bulk of the economy is under the fire. As a result - and if we do nothing - we may need around a decade to return economy to the 2021 levels." It seems to me to be a Russian admission that the Russian economy is indeed in глубокое дерьмо, and likely to be for some time..
Note that this is a report from June 17, 2022 of a speech made at an annual international economic forum in St Petersburg. But perhaps it wasn't reported in the Russian media?
Looks like your medias forgot to tell you 2 points:
1. Urals oil always has discount to Brent oil, exactly 30%
2. It is discount to stock exchange prices what are on peak already almost year and forecast is "up to $200 per barrel till the end of the year".
That why every Western media now discussing Russian fossil fuel extra profit from sanctions, $240-270 bln , huh?
And yes: here are in discussion of contracting of export in natural units, but celebrating expanding of export in moneys
Moses,
Thank you for pointing out something I had not sufficiently checked in my earlier response.
You prompted me to look further into the discount for Indian buyers of Russian oil, and this is what I found - an article entitled “European traders get more discounts on Russian oil than Indian buyers. Thanks to EU sanctions!” (https://www.timesnownews.com/busines...o-eu-sanctions, Updated Jun 8, 2022 | 03:57 PM IST. The article states, “Indian refiners are at a significant disadvantage as compared to European traders with respect to discounts on Russian oil. EU sanctions forbid European traders from selling outside Eurozone which means no non-Euro buyers and more discounts for local buyers.
It also states, “Agencies report Russian crude to be available at a discount of $35 per barrel to Brent, the global oil benchmark, but increased insurance, shipping and dealer margins in the aftermath of sanctions have effectively reduced the concession effectively to $10 for Indian buyers……This hasn’t deterred Indian buyers to shore up Russian crude supplies in the aftermath of the war. Russia’s share in India’s crude import kitty increased to 5% in April for the first time ever; up from 1% in entire 2021.”
So, 5% of a country’s oil imports is world-shattering news? India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that "energy purchases from Russia remain miniscule in comparison to India's total consumption," and "Pulling back from Russian imports "will lead to further volatility and instability, jacking up international prices," the ministry warned" (Nikkei Weekly, https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Ene...tern-sanctions).
You are incorrect in stating (a) that Ural oil has always been discounted against Brent oil, and (b) the discount is exactly 30% - according to Statistica.com’s data site entry entitled “Difference between Urals and Brent oil price from December 31, 2021 to June 23, 2022” (https://www.statista.com/statistics/...ference-daily/). This shows the difference at the beginning of 2022 was less than 5%, and as much as much as 37.5% on April 18, 2022.
The 30% discount against Brent oil was reported by Bloomberg News as “Russian Oil Selling at 30% Discount to Global Benchmark, Data Show, on May 31, 2022 at 6:56 PM GMT+8 (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...data#xj4y7vzkg).
The New York Times cites JP Morgan by stating “J.P. Morgan commodities experts estimate that China can buy an additional million barrels of Russian crude a day as China recovers from Covid and attempts to add to its strategic crude stockpiles on the cheap. Russian Urals crude is selling for a $30 discount to Brent” (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/21/w...-cutbacks.html). According to Statistica.com, the discount on July 21, 2022 was actually 34.65%.
According to the Financial Times, it is China’s independent refiners that have been discreetly buying Russian oil at steep discounts, rather than the state-owned refiners, and that this is because “Purchases come as Chinese state-owned commodity traders shy away to avoid sanctions” (China’s independent refiners start buying Russian oil at steep discounts, https://www.ft.com/content/4f277a24-...4-29d6fd448b20, May 4 2022). State-owned
I have no idea why the Western press is fixated on Russia’s extra oil income this year, but noted with interest the following comment: “June 3 (Reuters) - Russia's finance ministry on Friday said it expects to receive 393 billion roubles ($6.35 billion) in additional oil and gas revenues this month. The Russian budget is set to record total additional receipts of 656.6 billion roubles in May-June thanks to higher-than-expected oil prices, it said in a statement. Due to the temporary suspension of certain provisions of the budget rule, the ministry does not plan to conduct market forex operations this year, it said.” (https://www.reuters.com/markets/comm...ry-2022-06-03/). In other words, all that money, but nowhere to spend it. So much for “celebrating the expanding export in moneys.”