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Russian Retaliation Begins: Gazprom "Limiting EU Gas", Cuts Poland Supplies By 24% In Past Two Days
Update: Bloomberg notes that Russian gas deliveries to Europe are suddenly in accelerating flux.
- Ukraine today received request from Poland to ship 11mcm/d of Russian gas, Ihor Prokopiv, CEO of Ukraine’s pipeline operator Uktransgaz, says in Kiev. Gazprom sent note it’s ready to supply just 7mcm, Prokopiv says
- Poland halted reverse gas flow to Ukraine of 4mcm/d by 3pm Warsaw, later than initially planned, Prokopiv
And yet:
- GAZPROM SAYS GAS FLOWS TO POLAND REMAINING AT 23MCM/D
So all is well on the surface. Just don't look underneath.
Over the weekend, we commented that in response to Europe's latest, and most serious, sanction round which would finally impact Russian energy giants Rosenft, Gazprom Neft (but not Gazprom) and Transneft, "suddenly the stakes for Russia, and thus Europe, just got all too real, as Putin will now have no choice but to really ramp up the retaliatory escalation, which following the food ban can only mean one thing: a staggered reduction in gas flow to Europe."
And while Europe appears to have blown its load prematurely, with the sanctions leaked before Europe actually has the consensus to implement them (it is now a daily threat by Europe which is screaming that it will impose the sanctions any minute yet not actually doing so), Russia has no such moral quandaries and three days following our forecast, here comes Gazprom confirming once again that it is perfectly happy to play the "mutual defection" strategy in the ongoing and ever escalating game theory between Europe and Russia for one simple reason: it has all the leverage.
From Bloomberg:
- RUSSIA LIMITING EU GAS TO RESTRICT REVERSE SUPPLY TO UKRAINE
In other words, this is only the beginning as Ukraine has clearly made the case that it will plug its gas reserve gap using "reverese flow" of Russian gas in transit to Europe. More importantly, this follows news earlier today from Poland’s PGNiG which said Gazprom lowered supply by 20%-24% in past 2 days.
So is this the beginning of the quite literal, ahead of the winter, European cold war? It looks like it, although for now it is all covered up in diplomacy with Bloomberg reporting that the Russian exporter "set volumes of daily natgas deliveries to Poland at level of end of last week due to preparations for heating season in Russia, Gazprom official says by phone, asking not to be identified in line with corporate policy." That, and conveniently Gazprom decided to "carry out some maintenance work at its pipeline system in Russia." Some maintenance work which suddenly saw Poland, which is 80% reliant on Russian gas, receive up to a quarter less Russian gas...
Finally, Gazprom noted that it also has to pump additional 7.3bcm of fuel to local underground inventories for winter in next month.
To be sure, Poland refused to tip its cards, and quickly commented that it won’t be hurt "as its underground storage is full", as was to be expected simply to avoid giving Russia all the leverage, something we also explained previously, when we observed in "Here Is Why Europe Just Launched The "Nuclear Option" Against Russia" that the Europe's 2014 winter war will be between the amount of gas held in European reserves, and how long Russian companies can go without obtaining European funding.
Then again, and once again confirming it is all about leverage, and who has it, Gazeta.ru reports that it took Poland just hours to halt its reverse flow to Ukraine:
Poland has suspended gas supplies to Ukraine in reverse flow. This was stated by the head of the company "Ukrtransgaz" Igor Prokop'ev, reports RIA "Novosti."
"Not everything is so simple. Today, Russia has begun to limit the supply of gas to the Republic of Poland to thwart reverse with Poland, we learn. At two o'clock in Poland ceased to reverse the Ukraine within the 4 million cubic meters ", - he explained the situation.
Earlier Polish PGNiG reported about the reduction of Russian gas supplies by 24%.
Gazprom’s press service declines to provide immediate comments, although none is needed after taking a quick look at the European dependence on Russia gas map conveniently placed below.
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No gas for you!
Lately we have been seeing lots and lots of emerging scenarios, which could justify war, and all running at the same time. We have the situation in Ukraine, set up by the US at great expense, and with at least 6 years of lead time (according to Wikileaks files just released http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-09-09/ukraines-choreographed-civil-war-revealed-wikileaks ). MH-17 initial report is so vague as to be readable as consistent with an antiaircraft missile attack, and we already know better, but this is all we get until the full report comes out next summer http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-09-09/mh17-was-struck-multiple-high-energy-objects-outside-aircraft-crash-report-reveals China is feeling her oats as a rising superpower, and it is how China has self identified for the past 3000 years.The South China Sea thing could need a war for that deep oil and gas. Justifications are being laid. Poor Philippines; poor Vietnam (bitter irony); poor Taiwan and Indonesia. Really, really in our faces are those beheadings and mass slaughters by ISIS/ISIL/IS.
Joe Biden says we'll follow them to the gates of heck, or something. Those guys are so totally bad that they would do anything, and anything we would do to kill all of them is a necessary service to the whole world. The Saudi King said they would be attacking Europe in a month, and the US in 2 months. Where did these guys come from, nightmare world? They are like al Qaeda with a Freddy Kruger mask! Then there is Ebola, which makes you die painfully and slowly with fever and bloody diarrhea, and bleeding from your eyeballs, and it comes like a thief in the night... Imagine you are Dick Cheney. Ok, ok, that's a bit too much to ask. I have an idea for a made-for-TV-movie that's an edge-of-your-seat, suspense thriller-diller.
Here's the story line: ISIS really, really wants to hurt the US, the great Satan, for decades of destruction, but can't get nuclear weapons, or any way to get them into the US. Ricin doesn't go very far, and would only kill a few people, like in that Japanese subway thing. ISIS needs something undetectable that won't show up on airline scanners, but that can still kill millions of people if they get it into the US. Hey, Ebola virus would work, and somebody could volunteer to be an Ebola suicide bomber, or even not volunteer... You get some guys from western countries, secret volunteers for ISIS, like we hear about, and tell them they have a secret mission. Some guys go to Washington DC with lots of money and have unprotected sex with 4 prostitutes a day until further orders. Unlimited ATM card, It's for Allah. Other guys go shoot heroin 4 times a day, drawing up twice what they will use, flashing a little blood back into it when they hit the vein, injecting real slow, then saying it's too strong, and leaving the half full syringe on the table while they crawl to the corner. Like Lee Oswald, these guys can just think they are establishing cover identities. Before they fly to Great Satan Land, they need a protective injection, a vaccination IV. The trick is, that it is pooled plasma from Liberian Ebola patients, frozen and flown over. By the time they get sick in 2-3 weeks, still establishing their cover identities, they could easily have infected 100 denizens of Washington DC. They would have infected the folks most likely to further infect others. These guys could even be shot in an alley when they get sick, before all the bleeding. That would get some infection going in the coroner's office. Ebola would never be suspected. Who is the first to figure it out? Who breaks it to the American people? What emergency measures have to be taken, to assure the continuity of government? Who must be brought to justice for this unbelievably heinous perfidy? Who gets nuked? Who gets quarantined? Where? Where do we put all those potentially infected people who had sex with prostitutes and used IV drugs in Washington DC? Where do we put everybody who they live with?
Anyway, it's just an idea for a made-for-TV-movie, but who could turn it off once they got into it, huh? It pulls everything together, doesn't it?Where can our elected representatives and top civil servants and military leaders go to safely carry on the work they must do to bring us through this crisis? Nothing must stand in the way of that mission! Where do treatments come from to protect us, and those masks, and rubber gloves, and goggles, and isolation suits?
You don't even need any big name actors. It's all in the plot.
Do you know of anybody who could fund a project like this?
Huh?
Maybe 9/11 was a made for TV movie, too.
The Austrians don't want anything to do with this bullshit.
Well, it’s fitting.
They gave the US a B Job and now they are getting it in the butt from Russia.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/23/polish-president-defends-relationship-with-us-despite-vulgar-comments/
And WTF has an Ebola False Flag got to do with this article?
Wait for the next Ebola article instead of being a threadjacker.
"And while Europe appears to have blown its load prematurely, due to its Ukrainian courtship .."
not to feel bad, Europe
has happened before.
many times.
trust me.
hugs,
international ukrainian dating services
And good chance this is also to counter the EU gas inventory build-up.
recall:
Here Is Why Europe Just Launched The "Nuclear Option" Against Russia
What do YOU call it when you can't pay your bills? Sanctions, so we don't HAVE to pay.
Hope you stay warm this winter you dumbass Polacks.
Reagan warned of this:
“Our strategy is aimed at limiting Soviet economic leverage over the West,” Pentagon aides told the White House in the memo.
The Trans-Siberian Pipeline, which crosses modern-day Ukraine, was built nonetheless, and it helped transform Russia into an energy superpower that nurtures the European Union’s dependence on its fossil fuels.
Nearly 33 years later, the warning from Reagan’s defense advisers stands prescient, as President Vladimir Putin, the KGB-bred successor to the Soviet empire, has muted the West’s response to his military incursion in Ukraine by relying on Europe’s addiction to Russian resources.
“President Reagan clearly understood at the time that Russia was not interested in being part of the family of nations,” said Larry Eastland, a State Department official in the Reagan administration. “Anytime you allow someone to have their hand on the spigot, you’ve not only given them economic power, you’ve given them military power as well.”
Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/5/reagan-administration-warned-russian-pipeline-thro/#ixzz3CvAHgwFr
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter
Our last real President.
I loved Ronnie, he was a great actor...
Russia: All your gas belong to us. In fact all our gas belong to us
Poland: Oh shit
Nato: How the fuck did we let Europe become so dependent on Russia?
Reagan/Romney: Told you
Democrats: It's Bush's fault
Obama: Think I can make the green from here?
Oh, c’mon now.. there is little left of Soviet policy over there.
You can’t agree with everything RR did, but Reagan was the right man for the time.
As long as we are stuck with nations, nations will control their natural resources to their best political interests.
When it gets to the point of controlling all communication, and all markets..
Well, then you are back to Fascism and Feudalism.
Gee.. where the F are we now?
You are correct... Both Russia and China have realized that the weapons of war in the 21st century are economic, while the US is still clinging onto the false British Colonial model where a boot in the ass breeds compliance... Not anymore Ronnie...
"Russia and China have realized that the weapons of war in the 21st century are economic"
What do you think having the dollar reserve currency is?
What do you think taking that away is?
"No one saw this coming."
Umm...obviously that China and Russia have ONLY JUST realized this lol.
America has understood that the prevalence and strength of the dollar is the real power for, oh about 60 years or so.
Right along w/Maggie.
/s
I suspect that was Lincoln.
Which is why the Rothschild assasin, John Wilkes Booth killed him...
http://www.rense.com/general86/pres.htm
No, they took our last real president for an open car ride.
Our first female president (nancy)
Isn't Nancy Boy our current president?
What did he know and when did he know it?
He knew if he didn't let GHW Bush have the reins, he was a dead man.
He knew it about three months after his inauguration.
And the rest is history, a very black history.
I don't think the bankers were interested in that memo in the 90's when gorby, Yeltsin bush 1, slick willy conspired with the bankers to loot the fuck out of Russia. What we are seeing now is butt hurt Zionist not getting their way for once and the only tool they have is the military
Hand on the spigot...what a great phrase.
Obamacare spigot controls medical care and parental rights
Fed reserve spigot controls purchasing power of masses
Monsanto spigot controls supply and quality of cheap "food"
Nsa/google/faceboot spigot controls digital dissent
Dhs/fusion/militarization of police spigot controls street level dissent
Haarp/geoengineering spigot controls rainfall / weather events (ok influences, they are still practicing with their new toys)
State run media / prestitutes spigot controls the narrative and the debate lanhuage
Deep state / campaign finance / diebold voting machines spigot controls the election outcomes
Epa/fda/swat team spigot control the self reliant community movement
Cia/armed forces / twitter revolutions spigot controls would be go it alone types internationally
Theyve got quite a few spigots And a lot of control
whats left? Free will. Consent. individual resiatance and analog activism
What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul.
I'd call that a manifold.
LOL Chief Strikeout.
Washington Times? LOL.
Do the Moonies still own it, or did they sell it to North Korea when Rev Moon died?
Just curious.
Two papers in D.C.: the Times, owned by the Unification Church, and the Post, controlled by the CIA. Take your pick. I would trust the Moonies more.
I spent a year in Warsaw in the 90's. I'd never describe the Polish people as stupid, but they did seem to carry an enormous chip on their shoulders, and would cut off their noses to spite their faces, so to speak.
That sounds like their stupid
Europe to Poland: You can't let them treat us like this, go demand an explanation!
Poland to Russia: Why are you treating us like this?
Russia: Because you are stupid.
Poland: We are not stupid!
Russia, putting hand in front of concrete wall: Yes you are. I'll show you. Here hit my hand as hard as you can.
Poland rears back and punches at Russia's hand as hard as it can. At the last second Russia pulls their hand away and Poland's fist smashes into the wall getting all bruised and bloodied.
Russia: See, I told you!
Poland goes back to Europe.
Europe: Well, what did they say?
Poland: They said it's becuase we are stupid
Europe: We are not stupid, how can you let them say that?
Poland, putting its hand in front of its own face: Yes we are, I'll show you. Here hit my hand.
That sounds like their stupid
they're
Shirley he forgot the sarc. ;D
When I see smart, articulate guys write "their" instead of "they're", I know that they used their smart-phones (with auto-spell).
[chuckle] I get that too, and have to outsmart the 'smart' spelling.
Well,actually, it's "they're"
F the Spelling/Grammar Police.
-30-
It's the irony of calling someone stooopit.
They should be really pissed at the English then... because it was the UK who sold them out to the USSR.
"...but they did seem to carry an enormous chip on their shoulders, and would cut off their noses to spite their faces, so to speak."
in that case just let them cut off their noses
Don't you just print money when you can't pay? Who gives a shit about munny man, they only significant method of payment is in hard commodities. Like gas.
How many Polacks does it take to get a fire going in winter?
The hapless Poles (I have Prussian blood so...) now high on their NATO horse, the heart of Europe, orginal home of more Tribe members than anywhere else, now taking the lead to showup those evil Russkies.
HEY POLAND, YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY SEEMS TO BE TO GET PLAYED AND LOOK LIKE FOOLS, HERE COMES ANOTHER RUN AT THE CHAMIONSHIP OF IDIOTS!
Not that I disagree, but I've pondered why this might be the case, and concluded that...
The Poles have literally been 'bred' for 1,000 years to be Serfs for the Feudal Aristocracy. The Church aided & abetted in this, for their own glory and lifestyle. This State/Church collusion truly was the proverbial iron hand inside the velvet glove. There are always exceptions, of course, but this seems to hold for the vast majority of Poles: lackeys and serfs, and some rebels.
For their sake and their reputation, I hope they improve their lot -- before the NWO and its Feudalism 2.0 sets in.
p.s. TB'12, you may want to use the Spellchecker, before some 'Polack' points this out to you. ;-)
F the Spelling/Grammar Police.
-30-
Kirk, you mention the iron hand/velvet glove, I will mention the symbol of the 'bicephalous eagle'. One head represents military government, the king, and his armed forces (knights, bodyguards, mercs). Rule by force.
The other represent civil government, or in the early days, the Church. The Patriarch or Bishop. Soft power. Getting people to be obedient to the King by way of words, stories, allegories...
This is why the two worst crimes were crimes against the state, or being apostate.
As for Poland, GEOGRAPHY. An unbroken plain from Germany in the west, to Belarus and Ukraine in the east. They have forever been pissing off either the Germans or the Russians, it would seem. Or some variation thereon (i.e. if there was a dynastic struggle or turmoil in Poland, its neighbors would try to use this for their own benefit).
When has ZH become a place for the type of comments I would expect on the Washington Times?
Stupid, ignorant, racist comments go there not here. 'Bred' for 1000 years....wtf you must be an idiot to think that you are 'bred' a serf, or if the population of Poland isn't mixed with myriads of other eastern european races.
And for a thousand years? Really? If evolution worked that fast, and if your comments are a judge of your character, I guess your descendants were racist German pigs.
1. Clearly you know very little about how Feudalism REALLY worked: Conformists got to live and work, and trouble-makers and rebels were eliminated from the gene pool - like reject runts. And Feudal Lords got to 'cherry-pick' from the selection of local babes in every sense of the word, when they felt like it. Sometimes by force, sometimes by wealth and charm. The Church was there to keep the poor from murdering the rich, keep them Hopeful (for Justice and a better life in the Afterlife), and their Flock calm and grazing.
2. In the pursuit of Better/Greater Truth, I'll take a shot at ANYONE (like Monty Python did), who I think is being rude, dumb, cruel, predatory, deceitful, lazy, hypocritical, etc. No groups, religions, cultures or races are exempt. Not even my own. Feelings matter, but Truth matters more. Fuck the PC morons! Their bullshit and Guilt-tripping has Zero weight with me.
3. I'm not a "racist" in the sense that I "hate" or fear (phobia) other races (have Ethno- or Xeno-Phobia). There is no need for Fear or Hate (negative emotions invested). I just don't care. Couldn't give a shit about them: No emotion is invested.
I just believe in being loyal to My Kind, in an Ascending Hierarchy: my Family, my family Clan, my Tribe (group of Clans), my local Community, my Nation (group of Tribes), my Race. And, per #2 above, I can make gentle or crude (but not cruel) fun of my own group or another group. I expect the same in return, and am fine with it, cause words don't hurt me and am not afraid of a civil discussion -- where shrewd debaters sometimes use harsh words to emotionally compromise their opponent, and thus compromise their rebuttal. Arguments and debates can and should toughen people (make them emotionally and intellectually more robust). Jews know this, but most Christians don't know this. And Feminists and Public School Teachers -- living in Fantasia -- are totally fucking clueless about these things.
BTW, I've also learned that (historically speaking), the Church used Guilt ("Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa") as a weapon of dominance & control, whereas Jews used "guilt" as a Lever for competitive advantage over their opponent ("Whaddya mean you want X? You heartless person... You'll starve my family!"). Centuries of marketplace/bazaar haggling imparts negotiation and guilt-tripping skills on a People. ;-)
Hope this helps. But remain angry, if you wish.
You were going, well, hmm OK until, the German Pigs bit which, kind of, defeated the half hearted argument you were trying to make.
(Note: The previous posters were having a bit of fun with Pollacks until you decided to prance in playing the 'Prince of Political Correctness' until your rancid racism kicked in at the end.)
Game of Chicken.
IInteresting that the Russians did this against Poland only, when Slovakia is also reverse flowing gas into the non paying pockets of the Ukraine.
This might be because Poland has been more vocal anti Russia and Slovakia is getting a reward for threatening to veto the Russia sanctions.
Either way, expect all reverse pipeline countries to get put on an "allowance" by Russia. As long as it is only "net" against Ukraine, then it is fine.
Anywhere else they can reverse the flow to Slovakia and Poland (for them to reverse the flow to Ukraine)?
Instead of cutting everyone's gas they pick the most vocal and hit thiem. That way it costs Russia less, the suffering country goes to the other EU's and demands something from them for their continued cooperation, other small countries highly relient on Russian gas may start voting against sanctions or demand Germany makes them whole for all economic damages.
They US tries to pick off countries one at a time, same thing here. Also, if Russia furthers their retaliation enough to cause caos in a small country this turmoil spills over to other EU countries who think they are above this. The entire structure of the EU feels it.
Russia needs to either find an excuse to increase the cuts to 40% or find another small EU country to hit at the same time, one located closer to the heart of the EU if possible.
Oh, what bullshit. Stop lying, okay?
This isn't retaliation. Ukraine hasn't been paying their bills, and Russia threatened to cut them off months ago. Stop pretending this has anything to do with the EU sanctions.
I think there is a word for this. It is called - stealing. You want gas, pay your bill. Do not reverse flow or redirect it to other countries.
It you do not want to pay the bill, then you don't need any gas.
Re non payment for gas, no argument from me. Ukraine will try and leverage who will pay their gas bill just because they can.
You can bet both Slovakia and Poland and who ever else is into the Reverse flow game is looking for some guarantee for any gas delivered to Ukraine...
More on the Ebola Hoax and How and Why
When is Ebola not Ebola? ... When it walks off an airplaneYoutube_tin_foil_squad
Wait until it comes to the US in a signigficant number. A few at a time the US can handle. Once the numbers go into the thousands people will shun public places.
A terrorist group just needs to get it into the foods and it becomes mainstream.
Yogi, better get vaccinated quick then, you first:
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/08/13/ebola/
If it shows up in the Amerikan food supply, my money's on Taco Bell.
Bushmeat Burrito FTW.
pods
Mmmm! Bats and Brainworms!
"A terrorist group just needs to get it into the foods and it becomes mainstream"
I believe the U.S. already did this in Aftrica.
@free_lunch - people like to be afraid. Maybe its the same reason they go to horror movies and ride scary roller coasters.
Now, you can point out how past 'pandemics' turned out to be frauds, - SARS, swine flu, bird flu, etc, etc, etc but they don't want to hear it. Its Different This Time. They completely trust the 'authorities' in white coats. You'll probably get plenty of down votes.
Jon Rappoport has written extensively on medical system frauds including vaccines and the current ebola b.s.:
http://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/
Ebola Outbreak: Propaganda Decoded
HardAssets, you where right about the downvotes, where did the smart people go?
It is upsetting how the mainstream media including the social media is hyping the Ebola outbreak by terrorizing the innocent public with horrendous images of Ebola victims, fear of a sudden and unpleasant death from a disease that can easily be contained as compared to other tropical and infectious diseases. Even intellectuals have fallen victims to this trauma based mind control strategy. Eliminating the fear and stigmatisation surrounding Ebola is one of the greatest challenges health workers face today. With such terrifying headlines by the mainstream media, sometimes I get the feeling that, Ebola scare is also another attempt to put fear in the masses.
While I accept the fact that the disease is incredibly lethal, I believe the experiences of Swine flu, Bird flu etc scare hoax have made some of us very skeptical and question whether the Ebola threat is real or it is just another false flag. Read more
WHO run Barter Town ???
My Google sleuthing from a few weeks ago says that those underground supplies will last ten weeks. Does anyone have better numbers?
No worries.....global warming should be kickin in about ten weeks from now.
Yes, the Gulf Stream will shortly quadruple in size keeping the euro's toasty, oh wait warming will melt the Greenland cap so the Gulf stream will not flow at all, well fuck it, all the Euro's are going to freeze.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/05/23/on-being-the-wrong-size/ Greenlands ice cap melted in 15K years, ok panic now..
Either that or they'll keep toasty warm with all the Russian tactical nukes going off...
For Poland, no. The ZH article the other day that showed somewhere around 80 billion m3 gives you a larger perspective though. Europe, as a whole, consumes somewhere around 460 billion m3 per year, and roughly 30% of that comes from Russia, give or take. I'm guessing they think that they have enough to last the winter, but it sounds as though they are cutting it close. How long can Russia subsidize its gas and oil industry?
The Hungarians don't want anything to do with this bullshit neither. We just want peace and happyness. We don't want sanctions against Russia because we have no problems with them at all. Whatever negative news you hear it is not true. We don't want this bullshit.
Yes, your people do. But notice your govenment is shipping heavy tanks and arms by the train load to Ukraine. The last train load of tanks has already been videoed destroyed on the battle field. Your leaders still do what NATO tells them.
TBF - They shipped over T-72s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-72
Entered production in 1971. Anyone who got into those might have as well gotten into a Corolla against state of the art anti-tank weapons the DTR have been using.
Also, quite likely the Hungarians sent these to the Ukies --
http://mhrfweb.makett.org/MHRF/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=ca...
Which, essentially have been muesum pieces for the better part of a decade. Shoot, as things get worse for the Ukies in Kiew, expect the Albanians to be unloading the vintage MiG collection
http://photorecon.net/peter-stroobach-visits-albania-airbases/
That T-72 shipment was not intended to be used in battle. It was supposed to provide "proof" of a Russian invasion, since Ukraine supposedly didn't have any T-72's.
Anyone know what NovoRussia aka Patriots are using to take those tanks out? Did they get Russian Kornets? Those things will grease a Merkava or Abrams. I think lower quality anti-tank missles will work as well.
The Zio-Canadians provided Javelins which ended up in NSU hands.
Seems to be good old artillery, either through the sides or from the top. There are a lot of 120mm morters in use. There is some pretty accurate fire plus Grad salvos for the troops and APCs. Notice that much of the damage is when the tanks are sitting ducks on roads or dug in in one spot. Most tanks are T64 which are definitely not the best protected, also many of their explosive blocks are either duff or not fitted. The situation is a bit like having M46 Pattons in WW2.
@hungarianboy: "The Hungarians don't want anything to do with this bullshit neither. We just want peace and happyness. We don't want sanctions against Russia because we have no problems with them at all. Whatever negative news you hear it is not true. We don't want this bullshit."
Yup, same for Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. Alas Slovenia and Croatia are "NATO lackeys", they freely (and regretfully) admit. They are utterly "pissed" at the US Administration, but dare not say so openly because the NSA and Banksters have them by the balls. So they do what they’ve always done: Play Black Market games via friends/proxies, to keep business and trade going (the spice must flow) and avoid 'Merican reprisals.
So Austria was going to be one of the last miles for South Stream. It seems like every day Bulgaria is saying yes then the next day they halt construction.
Looking at the map, the only other easy option is to go through Romania. Anyone have any updates on South Stream.
Hunter Bidens Ukie pipeline is pretty much worthless. The Russians should pump sewage through it to Kiev.
+1 for your last sentence. Made me spill my coffee. LOL.
Ditto.
LOL
Sharknado was a hit.
Why does Europe want to do this to itself?
Not the European people, but the European elites.
Europeans and their Elite are not so "Presbyterian" about things. Europeans are adept at playing "Games inside of Games", when having to deal with a "Force Majeur" for a while:
Both play a Public game (of Compliance), while playing a hidden/underground game of avoidance and mitigation -- aka Black Markets. The Euro is great for that, as they have 200 and 500 Euro currency notes, versus the punt $100 FRN. Unlike the US/Canada, Europeans use cash a lot more than plastic. That, plus the much shorter driving/trucking distances between borders help also.
IOW: Publicly they salute and smile, privately they say "Whatever", and "Fuck You!" Human nature, baby. Human nature.
p.s. The Russians know this, and are also playing along, to give everyone (Russians and rational Europeans) the chance to "adapt and mitigate". What a better way to say "Fuck You, Nuland!", than to keep the trade going -- in different ways and forms. After all, the NSA might have IT and EE bandwidth, but not Human bandwidth. [LOL]
Stop being naive.
Nukes pointed at you can make you do anything the US wants.
When gas does not cross borders,troops will.
Hi Winston
The US has the EU under (Nukes) threat to obey them or follow their lead even when it goes
against their own interests?
Mere bribes and threats of exposing eu leaders crmes and sexual peccadillos, just
doesn't seem enough to force them into this suicidal posture.
Just what else does the US have ?
For now they also have a better money printer and lots of cartel control to keep their insolvent banks afloat.
Europeans know their place in history, which is great suffering through National pride. After all, you can't have a Rennascaince without a Dark Age. Just getting back to some good old suffering to make the good times good. Maybe open up the churchs again....why not.
Winston, re. Mere bribes and threats of exposing eu leaders crmes and sexual peccadillos, just doesn't seem enough ... they all were selected for being venal, greedy, weak. I mean take a look at Francois Hollande, Obummer, etc. Easy to manipulate or you don't get past 1st base. Look how Ron Paul was tossed around in the US of A political system. Hell, better yet ... look at Operation Gladio. All these European elites were in on it and they were murdering people.
@ Winston Churchill
Just what else does the US have ?
Why we have Obama -
if anyone doesn't do as we direct, we sic O'blamer on them....
This is just institutional momentum. It will disintegrate over time. France and the UK have nukes too. Any serious threat of nuclear Armageddon could be countered.
What the US has is the USD and varying degrees of control. This means that Europeans are left with the choice of ditching the dollar and watching a lot of their financial bullshit collapse, or taking on Russia at the behest of the US. It may seem suicidal now, but there is still time. The choice is going to get easier and easier for them in the future, because, while it is not a choice between pivoting towards Russia and suicide right now, it will rapidly become so. Change is on the horizon. Very, very painful change. The pain from not doing what is rational will have to be very great indeed to get them to back away from the US.
The UK, with London and its financial district is another story. They are tied at the hip with us financially.
"When gas does not cross borders,troops will."
really?
In the end, what other choice will there be.
But only if Russia cuts off all of Euroope.
The Poles and Balts deserve whats coming to them, if it stays there, then no troops.
These escalations have a momentum all of their own though.
Yes. See the Japanese before WWII for some context.
We could use payment from past years in order to deliver gas tomorrow, you do have the money right? Or is a fiat warrent all one needs to invade these days??
I think it's time for a very profound Albert Einstein quote "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler"
Defining in simple terms "what the US wants" is already not that easy. Defining how europeans react to US demands... even harder
So Gazprom, a classic megacorporation of the monopolistic bent, backed by an authoritarian stateman (that claims not to be involved in the irredentist movement of bordering countries) decides to test it's... customer base
... and ZH's commentariat is all about WOAR, and please moar of it. I remember when commenters like akak claimed that most people here were mostly against war, and very anti-authoritarian. But then he left
a small reminder: yes, Russia will deliver gas to China. But it's East Sibirian gas. As far as I could research, it cannot deliver (yet) from the western fields which currently deliver to Europe. Yes, in two, three years it will be a completely different affair, depending from what pipelines Russia will have in place, then. Yet this winter? Don't simplify too much, as Einstein pointed out
I don't know enough about Gazprom except that as you stated, it is a bit like a state supported monopoly. Russian and Chinese politicians seem to like this approach so they can integrate these corporate units into their national strategies. A few key incarcerations of the right Gasprom people and there is a unified front.
So if Gazprom goes without cash for a couple years, what happens to it? I have a feeling they will survive, as Russians under siege are known to do, but it will cripple them in some way. I don't know the company enough. I doubt the Russian government can float them on their Ruble printing press.
I hope this absurd idea that the US would take up the slack with imaginary LNG tankers from the ubiquitious flaming fields of shale gas all over. The tooth fairly is more based in reality than that contingency.
Who is pro war? Burst water pipes cannot be fixed over night in some cases. Other than your false claim regarding who is pro war, do you have a point?
I don't get a pro war feeling here. It's more like respect that Putin is standing up to the US / EU war pigs. Yes, I do want the east Ukrainians to have their freedom from Kiev. Kiev has bombed and burned enough innocent people to convince me they're evil mother fuckers.
And as far as Obama and the EU is concerned, well they're behaving like Khan Noonien Singh from the old Star Trek series except they're not supermen, just greedy with delusions of grandeur. I liken Putin to Capt. Kirk. So Kirk, send those evil bastards to Ceti Alpha V.
About that gas for China-
The resource base for gas deliveries to China are Irkutsk (Kovyktinskoe gas condensate field) and Yakutsk (Chayandinskoe oil and gas field) gas production centers. Gas deliveries will be carried out via the “Power of Siberia” gas pipeline that will stretch for 4000 km. By Gazprom's calculation, deliveries to China should begin in 2019.
"two, three years it will be a completely different affair"
The Pentagon a 6.5 million sq ft building was put up from scratch in just over a year! A pipeline could go up super quick too if both Russia and China consider it a matter of national security.
ghordius, yes, many of miss akak and others...but russia may be planning on delivering china its oil via iran. see itar tass.
Einstein was an idiot, his theories came from his Serbian wife whom he divorced after the media made him famous. The Brits also stole calculus from India. Calculus theories in the Vedas are 7000 years old. Get off the Einstein hoax.
bonehead
Come on, Ghordius. Let's be fair, here. I cannot find many long-term ZH commenters as truly nihilistic hate-baters and war mongers. And yes, we too may miss "akak" and many more other principled commenters who have fallen by the wayside. But surely you must know that the "moar/woar" retorts are expressions of undisguised disgust with the West's double-standards and hypocrisy toward Russia, which is a far far cry from the former USSR.
Einstein's "simple" says that after two revolutions in two years, 70 years of Bolshevism (encouraged in large part by meddling European powers), 5 years of bloody civil war and foreign invasion, followed by another 5 years of German invasion resulting in the combined loss of some 40 million Russians, culminating in the eventual total collapse of the Soviet Union . . . . and then only to followed by another 8 years during the Yeltsin debacle of the raping of its resources by the "well-intentioned" democracies of the West . . . . that the Russia people had earned a well-deserved breathing space.
Putin has tried to give the Russian people that transitional space for the last 15 years, and given the prior century's destruction, has made great strides in doing so by slowly integrating Russia and its economy into Europe and fostering greater internationalism. Russia today is unrecognizable from the USSR in 1980. "Simple" has to admit all of the above.
But "simpler" just spews "authoritarianism" and "monopolisitic bent" (as if these were not actual hallmarks of "Brusellian Europe" today, or American self-announced "excetionalism") instead. Actually, you could have just said what you actualy implied . . . "that it's all because Russians are just a bunch of wild Mongol asiatics. Now that would have been both "simpler", as well as less evasive.
Step down from the soapbox for a minute and won't look like you're 2 meters tall.
+1
WHY? Birthing pains of Gomorrah...
It turns out that keeping room temperature just above goose skin levels increases life span by 3.14159 years...
Pleasure clearly is lethal.
3.1415926 Looks like a PI in the sky number to me.
Newsboy,
Yes. And imagine the radical measures that the denizens of DC would take to "protect the American people" by first, of course, protecting themselves. The extreme panic things they would do to save themselves would be a PR nightmare for them. One thing that is undeniable: the people "in power" are sociopaths, and thus it is "all about them," always. So when TSHTF they will grab what they can and save themselves, and if that means killing as many of us as they can, or totally isolating themselves form us (almost the case now, isn't it?), then that is what they will do. Force is the only thing they understand and it is always their fallback position.
There are so many nightmare scenarios right now for the dot gov which would lead to a release of all the pent up anger out here in the hinterlands. Your scenario certainly is one of them.
One of them will happen; it's only a matter of time. Ferguson was as close to a Boston Massacre moment as we've been in decades.
Good odea but this outline feels much too MSM - Hollywood - TV dramatization. It´s like the umpteenth rendition of the ubuquitous cop drama .Maybe you should wait until the next false flag for better inspiration..or at least gt in touch with Dick to get more info on who actually calls the shots. I surmise that Operation Loose Sphincter is on the drawingboard in undisclosed location near Pentagon.
What? What was the middle part?
To those terrosits out there I just want to say - Just Bring It On!
They don't have to actually bring Ebola to our shores.
All they have to do is to convince us that it's here... or that they intend to bring it.
Too late, they flew it into Emory University. Are you volunteering to be the plumber next time a line stops up at Emory?
bloomberg has posted that XOM and BP are not going to be able (according to EU sanctions) to drill in the arctic. XOM and BP are going to take a huge hit. the kara sea as well as other projects are a big piece of both companies' future plans. these sanctions hit them squarely. it's as if TPTB want to take them out as well as russia and rosneft.
The Poles better start storing their farts in glass jars.
You just couldn't see this one coming
poles are that stupid they'll start panic heating tomorrow.
Poles are smart, they are heating their homes now so they will be warm in Febuary when there is no gas.
They're turning on the stove and filling up empty space in their homes. Smart pollacks.
I heard they sell those on eBay.
LOL. Dame Edna, they may not have Nobel Prize winners, but they can be shrewder when Necessity forces them...
They are already prepping for importing Gas via trucks and rail from Russia. At different Price/Volume point than via pipeline, of course. And COD*, of course.
NB ('Note Bene', Latin for Note Well):
1. When gas-via-pipeline contract is not being used, but Rail, Trucks and Danube Barges are being used, new Terms & Conditions apply: COD at FOB** in whatever payment method that's being demanded (RUB, CNY, AU). The rest of Europe will do the same. Bitchez.
2. Gas Wars + Currency Wars = Bad News for USD/EUR and their QE games.
* COD = Cash(ish) on Delivery
** FOB = Freight On Board (shipping term)
"No gas for you!"
Who run Bartertown?
Master Blaster Putin, that's who.
We do have a backup plan.......right?
we dont need no stinking backup plan ... they need le douleur ... what they are going to do without it? print more rubles ... than what?
The view must be a good one from the top of that pyramid, just where do you reside?
Print MOAR. It's the solution for everything.
Bartertown, now that is funnuy.
Putin might actually fear the Soupman, unlike Obama.
Elsewhere:
Priorities: while Obama dithers on ISIS strategy, State Department sponsors RECYCLING workshops in Pakistan:
http://tinyurl.com/lme7yho
in mother russia gas pumps you
pumps 'em right up the arse..take it for uncle sam you fools
Hans & Franz [in Austrian accent]: Vlad, we are here to pump you up! To maximum pumptitude. Ja!
At this point Putin holds all the cards, this will become more obvious as winter nears and events unfold. It seems both Russia and many of the separatist in Eastern Ukraine would support federalization. Surely, no reason exist for Kiev to be opposed other than a loss of power. A more federalized government is also the most plausible way of keeping Ukraine intact.
Support for sanctions is mixed in Europe as some countries fear Russia and have an ax to grind with Putin while others wish to move forward. Saber rattling has only lead to death and destruction. As I see it little good will come from further bloodshed and it is time for the West to stop sending money to Kiev so they can ramp up the violence and continue the civil war. More on the progress being made in the article below.
http://brucewilds.blogspot.com/2014/08/eu-moving-towards-deal-on-ukraine...
Russia needs cut europe off full stop, tomorrow. Use 'production and delivery problems' as an excuse to make those fuckers feel the pain. This staggered reduction nonsense will only help them tolerably adjust to the gasprom shortage. Why make it easy on europe when their being a bunch of pricks?
I agree with you, I think Russia knows the collapse is close and they do not want to be set up as the ones who caused it.
Dear EU, i am very sorry you have to deal with gas companies you seem to dislike so much. Therefore i have ordered these companies to cut of deliveries to you, thus solving your problem.
Yours, warm and toasty in Moscow, Vlad.
Does that mean the Euros can build the Nabbucco pipeline? The Syria-Turkey pipeline? The Baku-Tblisi pipeline from the Black Sea to Ukraine?
The problem with using supply agreements with customers as a weapon is that they will become increasingly desperate to have a different supplier.
They may become increasingly desperate, but it takes time to conquer countries and build pipelines.
Syria is already behind schedule.
The US Cartel* will talk "Pipeline deal" with ISIS, just like they did with the Taliban (to counter the Iran-Afghan-China pipeline). When the Taliban said No, 911 happened a year later.
They and the MSM presstitutes just won't tell YOU about their talks with ISIS (via regional proxies). Public posturing, private deals and games. Same as it ever was.
* US, Saudis, Qatar, Jordan. With Israel in the shadows, pulling strings.
Import it from the UAE.
Russia still has at least 8 surface war ships in the Med, I don't think that Syria will be getting any pipeline in the near or far future.
They were there a year ago too. This is what led General Dempsey (Joint Chiefs) to rush over to the White House on a Saturday morning.
Obama wanted to send Tomahawks and was quickly told no. My guess is the Russians would have shot them down and a US Navy frigate or two would have been sunk.
One of the things that I think The Pentagon and MIC is most frightened of is having their weaponry being shown to be inferior to Russian missiles and equipment. Israel asked Russia to stop selling Kornet anti tank missiles because they blow up Merkava's fairly easily. If Russia starts selling more military equipment - countries may be less bullied by others.
The rumor was someone launched 2 cruise missiles last year and the Russians or US Navy shot them down. Some said it was Israel and the USN shot them down. Others said a base near Spain and the Russians shot them down.
How is that Syria thing working out anyway??