The easing of the cost of living crisis, initially driven by a spike in energy prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is linked to the continued import of Russian gas. Despite initial fears and high energy costs, European gas prices fell back to pre-invasion levels by spring 2023, reducing inflation and stabilizing the economy.
While Europe shifted to importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US and Qatar, Russian gas imports never fully stopped. Europe continues to import significant amounts of Russian LNG, transported by a fleet of ships, and Russia remains a major gas provider to several European countries.
The sanctions against Russia are inconsistent; British companies still insure tankers carrying Russian LNG, and some of these tankers are operated by a company based in Glasgow. This ongoing importation is a strategic choice to avoid further economic hardship, meaning Europe indirectly funds Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine while maintaining stable energy prices.
The response to the Ukraine war exposes the west’s underbelly quite severely. The wishy-washy response from Europe and the US just shows that the best defense is for each country to be well prepared. This also should be a warning sign for Poland and East Europe that Europe’s dependence on outside rival nations for energy and lack of military preparedness will only embolden Putin. Russia in throwing a fit because the EU had shown interest in forming an EU army shows that their intentions does not end in Ukraine.
Testiclese on
A lot of noise has been made about Armenia’s supposed Westward pivot. Even some NATO exercises.
The West can’t be bothered to change their habits for a war at their very doorstep.
There’s no way anyone in the West is doing anything more than some strongly worded (but not too strong!) condemnation of something starts happening with Armenia.
Yelesa on
> More glaring still is the fact that five of the tankers are actually part-owned and operated by a company called Seapeak, whose operations centre is in Glasgow. In other words, these ships — whose sole purpose is to transport Russian gas — **are being run and managed by a British organisation.**
and
> But the reality is that **it’s in full compliance with sanctions.** It’s just that the sanctions regime is riddled with holes. Some of those holes are accidental, such as the ones that enable European companies to keep sending components for use in drones and weapons to Russia via its Caucasus and central Asian neighbours.
So Europe is using Russian gas but Russia is not profiting right? That’s the goal.
> Europe is still paying Russia billions of euros for gas, carried in ships managed and operated by an office in Glasgow. **A chunk of those revenues end up in the Kremlin.** If you are after an explanation of why Russia is producing three times as many artillery shells as the West, well, Russian gas revenues are, alongside oil and coal, **part of the answer.**
The framing is deceptive. How does it compare to before? How much of this criticism is another example of “letting perfection be an enemy of good?”
Also,saying “part of the answer” is technically true, but it is a very small part of the answer. Slave labor is a much bigger part of the answer. Russia uses forced prison labor, just like they use forced prison conscription to run their armies.
Vodka consumption has increased due to sanctions because it has made life more difficult to cope with, so has tax revenue from the sales, so Russian economy is doing better as a result.
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The easing of the cost of living crisis, initially driven by a spike in energy prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is linked to the continued import of Russian gas. Despite initial fears and high energy costs, European gas prices fell back to pre-invasion levels by spring 2023, reducing inflation and stabilizing the economy.
While Europe shifted to importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US and Qatar, Russian gas imports never fully stopped. Europe continues to import significant amounts of Russian LNG, transported by a fleet of ships, and Russia remains a major gas provider to several European countries.
The sanctions against Russia are inconsistent; British companies still insure tankers carrying Russian LNG, and some of these tankers are operated by a company based in Glasgow. This ongoing importation is a strategic choice to avoid further economic hardship, meaning Europe indirectly funds Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine while maintaining stable energy prices.
Non paywalled article link: [https://archive.is/os8uO](https://archive.is/os8uO)
This is ok and fine, right?…. Right?
The response to the Ukraine war exposes the west’s underbelly quite severely. The wishy-washy response from Europe and the US just shows that the best defense is for each country to be well prepared. This also should be a warning sign for Poland and East Europe that Europe’s dependence on outside rival nations for energy and lack of military preparedness will only embolden Putin. Russia in throwing a fit because the EU had shown interest in forming an EU army shows that their intentions does not end in Ukraine.
A lot of noise has been made about Armenia’s supposed Westward pivot. Even some NATO exercises.
The West can’t be bothered to change their habits for a war at their very doorstep.
There’s no way anyone in the West is doing anything more than some strongly worded (but not too strong!) condemnation of something starts happening with Armenia.
> More glaring still is the fact that five of the tankers are actually part-owned and operated by a company called Seapeak, whose operations centre is in Glasgow. In other words, these ships — whose sole purpose is to transport Russian gas — **are being run and managed by a British organisation.**
and
> But the reality is that **it’s in full compliance with sanctions.** It’s just that the sanctions regime is riddled with holes. Some of those holes are accidental, such as the ones that enable European companies to keep sending components for use in drones and weapons to Russia via its Caucasus and central Asian neighbours.
So Europe is using Russian gas but Russia is not profiting right? That’s the goal.
> Europe is still paying Russia billions of euros for gas, carried in ships managed and operated by an office in Glasgow. **A chunk of those revenues end up in the Kremlin.** If you are after an explanation of why Russia is producing three times as many artillery shells as the West, well, Russian gas revenues are, alongside oil and coal, **part of the answer.**
The framing is deceptive. How does it compare to before? How much of this criticism is another example of “letting perfection be an enemy of good?”
Also,saying “part of the answer” is technically true, but it is a very small part of the answer. Slave labor is a much bigger part of the answer. Russia uses forced prison labor, just like they use forced prison conscription to run their armies.
And you know what’s another part of the answer that’s bigger than Europe is doing? Historically speaking, [a huge part of Russian GDP revenue is domestic vodka consumption](https://warontherocks.com/2015/07/little-water-vodka-and-the-russian-sociopolitical-realm/). Estimated to be one third of their economy, this is far too significant a number to ignore. [There are actually serious academic studies on vodka’s impact in Russia’s geopolitics](https://www.amazon.com/Vodka-Politics-Alcohol-Autocracy-History/dp/0199755590)
Vodka consumption has increased due to sanctions because it has made life more difficult to cope with, so has tax revenue from the sales, so Russian economy is doing better as a result.