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EU's Juncker Folds To Gazprom On South Stream Pipeline
Submitted by Pater Tenebrarum via Acting-Man blog,
Juncker Backtracks on EU’s South Stream Ban
How do you get €300 billion in (probably largely useless) “infrastructure investment” in Europe? Banning a $40 billion project from going forward is probably not going to help, not to mention that this one would actually have been useful. After Gazprom announced last week that it has had enough and is ditching the South Stream pipeline project (see “South Stream Dies” for details) after having invested $5 billion and run into countless politically motivated obstacles, EU commissariat president Juncker engaged in a back-tracking exercise, garnished with some nonsense about “Russia holding Bulgaria to ransom”. Very likely he got an earful from Bulgarian prime minister Boiko Borisov about the EU’s sabotage of the project:
“European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has insisted the $40 billion South Stream natural gas pipeline can still go ahead and accused Russia of holding EU-member Bulgaria to ransom when it said it had abandoned the project.
Speaking after talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov, whose country South Stream would traverse making it a major beneficiary, Juncker rebutted Russia’s statement that EU competition rules had killed it. He told reporters issues relating to the pipeline were not insurmountable and he was working with Bulgaria to address them.
Russia said on Monday it had abandoned the pipeline, which would have bypassed Ukraine, Gazprom’s traditional transit route for Russian gas, citing EU competition requirements for a pipeline’s ownership to be divorced from its cargo. It said it was working on an alternative route via Turkey.
Juncker accused Moscow of blackmailing Bulgaria, which retains strong political and economic ties with Moscow and is almost entirely dependent on Russia for its gas. “I am not accepting the simple easy idea that Bulgaria can be blackmailed as far as these energy relations are concerned,” Juncker said.
“We’ll take … all the necessary steps to make sure that our relations with Russia will be improved, but it doesn’t depend only on the willingness of the EU, of the European Commission. To dance a tango … you need two dancers.”
Borisov also said South Stream could be built and agreed it had to comply with EU rules, including legislation known as the third energy package, which limits how much of a pipeline a company can own if it also controls its contents. Further efforts to bring the project in line will be made on Tuesday, when EU energy ministers meet for regular talks. “I hope that all these technical details will be solved at this meeting including the third energy package,” Borisov said. He added he had not received any official notice from Russia that South Stream was not going ahead.
EU sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russia’s calculation could have been that its announcement of South Stream’s demise would place the Commission under pressure from some member states to soften its regulatory stance. At the same time, Russia has a struggle [sic, ed.] to find the cash for South Stream, given a falling oil price and economic sanctions.”
(emphasis added)
A few remarks to the above: yes, the Bulgarians are understandably up in arms, but had it been up to them, the construction activities would never have been interrupted in the first place. As things stand, the previous Bulgarian government was badgered by the EU and visited by John McCain, whose primary mission was apparently to stop the pipeline from being built. The government announced that all construction on the pipeline would be stopped two hours after McCain left.

Boiko Borisovich, here pictured shortly before jumping down JC Juncker’s throat. We would recommend not angering him too much: he’s a former bodyguard with a black belt in karate. His nickname is “Batman” (no kidding!).
Could it be that Gazprom announced the cancellation merely to put pressure on the EU Commission? It is certainly possible. Note, we doubt that lower oil prices are a “cause” of anything here. This is not an oil pipeline, it is a natural gas pipeline – which is a different, if related market. While bulk sales prices are not entirely independent of market prices, there are long term delivery contracts designed to give pricing and planning security to both consumers and producers.
However, Gazprom does have a financing problem – mainly due to EU sanctions. It can no longer refinance its short term foreign currency denominated debt in Western markets. Obviously this means the company will have to reassess some of its investment plans. And it should be clear that an investment that has so far run into nothing but obstacles from the EU bureaucracy is likely among those to be culled. In fact, even if the “competition” problems are sorted out (which we assume would be quite easy to do – key word: “North Stream”), Gazprom may decide not to go forward, because the financing issue could be seen as too risky.
Juncker says the EU will do whatever it can to improve relations with Russia and it is certainly true that if there are disagreements it always “takes two to tango”. However, let us stop to think for a moment what this means in unambiguous, clear language. From the perspective of the EU (and especially the US) leadership, it means that Russia’s government must accede 100% to every demand they make. We already pointed out that this is an essentially fascist foreign policy. Nothing but complete surrender is acceptable. We don’t think it would be impossible to come to an agreement regarding the Ukraine crisis that everybody could in theory live with (the über-hawks in both the US and Russia excepted – basically the neo-cons in the US and assorted nationalists in Russia. We do have a tad more understanding for the paranoia of former Eastern Bloc countries). By now it should be rather glaringly obvious though that economic sanctions and demonizing the Russian leadership at every opportunity won’t do the trick.
As an aside to all this, it certainly couldn’t possibly get more embarrassing. Only last Monday, the European State propaganda orga…sorry, the European mainstream press, printed triumphalist headlines like this one, which translated means “EU Victory Over Moscow’s Pipeline Policy” – below the headline we read “bureaucrats have brought Putin to his knees, not diplomats”. An appropriate comment on this would be a variation of a famous saying by King Pyrrhus of Epirus: “If we are victorious in one more battle with the Russians we shall be utterly ruined.”
Conclusion:
Although every bad thing that is not the fault of climate change is allegedly the fault of Putin, it seems the EU commissariat “didn’t really mean it” and wants to see South Stream built after all. Here is an idea: lock them all in a room with Borisov for an hour and let him use his special powers of persuasion on them; that should hasten the process.

Boiko “Batman” Borisov in action
Photo via glasove.com / Author unknown

That looks like it may have hurt.
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So, like.... no doom?
Yes, and the EU folks are going to pay for it, with Junker's freshly designed leveraged infrastructure fund of last week.
You screwed the pooch, idiot.
It ain’t coming back.
Cry in your beer with Kerry and McCain.
So, still some way short of telling The US to go Fuck itself, then?
But, when it gets difficult, you have to lie??
Putin could say yes, but with one of the following conditions:
-To save at least 8 billion Euros on construction, due to EU sanctions restricting our ability to borrow from EU markets, we need to build the pipeline across the Crimea, and into shallower waters.
Otherwise, the Turks will be more than happy to send gas to EU, at a 30% markup over Southstream, LOL.
no, Europe just get fucked.
And they deserve it.
lol, death to the NWO and the EU
If EU still wants a SouthStream pipe they are free to go ahead and build it. Conforming with all their laws. Russia isn't going to refuse permission to bring a pipe ashore in Russia and isn't going to refuse to sell gas to whomever offers to buy it.
But Russia is not now going to contribute to the cost of such a pipe, that is the essential difference. They want to own it and control it - well fine, they can pay for its construction.
Its only USD40bn. Less than the full cost of one of their small wars.
Plus, Russia will now sell at a markup, the EU pipeline surcharge of 30%.
http://www.inclusivedemocracy.org/journal/vol10/vol10_no1-2_Economic_war...
all you need to know.
Sorry, Juncker, but as they say in Russia, tough shitsky.
There are more kinks to work out, here.
There could be a pipeline to Turkey AND a pipeline to Bulgaria.
The US is overplaying hands so hard, leading up to some big confrontation with Russia.
The boy maight be found to have cried "WOLF" too often, and the next 9/11 or Pearl Harbor, or whatever, may backfire.
Not only are they psychopaths but obviously MORONS!
All ivy legue scum at the top of the business and political world is the true problem for the USA ruling class -
And a disaster for the rest of us
To dance a tango … you need two dancers.”
Yes, it's two dancers: Europe and the Third Energy Package.
And the second pair of dancers - Russia and Turkey.
Russia has no obligation to dance tango with Europe, which imposes economic sanctions against Russia.
Because the business - this is not a tango, good enough to understand it.
You can't build a pipeline in this kind of Yoyo climate. You never know when the US will decide to play spoiler with Southstream, the way they are in Ukraine.
Bulgaria has had its chance. Wait for gas from Turkey, you cowards and weaklings. Life has just taught you that there are consequences for that also.
In the meantime, you can always buy LNG gas from Gazprom, shipped by barge and rail. Oh wait...
So is it a sneeze or a fart?
Juncker, who's the daddy?
Waiting for Schröder to popup
"Hey - how about we build Nordstream II?"
They'll up the capacity first. ^_^
Since the EU has implemented Third Party Rules for Oil Pipelines (IIRC, a single entity can not pump, distrtibute, and sell) Petroleum, they're going to stick with the Turkey Stream.
Brillant move.
1) The Southern Europeans will have to pay for and pump the Fuel rest of the way from TRK;
2) The IRNians can build a pipeline directly to TRK; and sell their Petroleum (Plan B - since SYR is taken out of the picture thanks to the Five-Eyed Beast and their ex-Vassal ISIL (future ISO-3 may be ILV, ISS, or ISM). So it's safe to say that
3) KSA and Friends are cut off from TRK for their pipeline plans for now. I don't think SYR/LEB are safe options, so JOR/ISR/EGY may have to be their "Consolation Route" if they really want to lay some Pipe.
There's nothing I don't like about Putin. Except, you know, for the whole "being evil" thing.
You are just jealous that Putin is a far better leader than the bisexual illegal occupying the WH, or the squealing fat german pig that pretends to lead Germany.
You guys might want to replace the batteries in your sarcasm detectors.
Yes, He is a true evil being =)
Your thinking lacks nuance
A hearty +1 for the squealing fat german pig! Truth can be so simple.
Not evil. He's presiding over the restoration of Christianity in Russia after 70 years of official atheism (whereas our leaders are doing their level best to bury it). When it comes to killing people for no particular purpose, subverting foreign governments and otherwise imposing his will on countries that would rather be left to their own devices, he's a piker compared to some Western heads of state and government I can think of. Comparaively, he's a babe in the woods.
Aren't legends fun? Just because its false doesn't mean you can't play with it. I like to think of him as the meat world equivalent of Havelock Vetinari from the Terry Pratchett books.
+10,000
It's getting embarrassing having these EU fuckwits represent my international interests.
fuck em. go through turkey.
Hope Russia sticks with Turkey and never builds South Stream.
It's time for Russia to understand the psychopaths in the west will always try to screw them.
Contrary to the prevailing idea, I think Putin is rather soft when it comes to Russia's relations with the west. Man, the guy has been very, very patient in light of the west stabbing him in the back time and again.
Putin plays economics, while the EU idiots are playing politics, under the control of their USSA puppeteers.
you miss the point, if eu pay for russia pipe, they go counterclockwise from what usa request to eu.
eu is just the ball, russia kicked ball back in usa base.
to me war will never be boot on ground, EU be definitivly the starting point of the shtf, they are planning sooo much laws to complectly smash and squeeze the mid class up to the point not having the righ to drive car more than 13 years old... cadence is going to be implemented for anyone wanna live in these lands.
they are pushing the machinery too fast, overheating incoming.
i think we just entering the last decade.
I think the Russians have learned from the Chinese in this regard...the Chinese are extremely patient, think long term, and also have long memories and don't forget. When they want to drop the hammer/sickle, it will be swift and decisive.
WTF? Doesn't Bulgaria know their role yet?
Is it just me....or are we about to see some marginal nat gas plays being pressured at $3.75 and below. I know the story about oil....but I've seen stories for the last couple of years that break even on some of the shale and fracked nat gas is between $2.50 - $5.00. Seems to me that nat gas dropping below $3.75 today will have a knock on effect to oil companies in the states.
BTW....the Supreme Court just rejected BP's challenge to the GOMEX disaster.
Russia should tell the EU to go fuck itself and build their alternative anyway. Fuckin' EU bullshit.
USSA needs to be told to fuck off also on Keystone, and all the oil goes to China. Fuckin' EPA bullshit.
I think that means that Putin is a master card player and if Gazprom wants, it can now double it's profits on the project. Well played again by Russia.
JunkMan will ' do whatever it . . . ', SuperMario quick get him for plagiarism.
What a fucking hornet's nest!
Russia should not flip-flop on this issue. There is no way that it can reverse course, abandon the deal with Turkey, and invest billions in a distribution system which could easily be seized s collateral for economic sanctions in the future.
Once built and operating, gas can flow to Europe through Turk Stream by connecting it to pipelines built in Greece to Macedonia to Serbia to Hungary to Austria later. The EU can still impose its will on the pipeline operators in Europe; but that won't be GAZprom's/Russia's problem, since they won't be involved in building the European sections.
Bulgaria got screwed. But it is their own fault for being too close to Germany, economically-speaking, and too close to Russia otherwise. Both Hungary and Serbia are standing up to EU/US directives. Bulgaria should have joined them.
I don't think Putin is flip flopping, but simply making a business decision. The EU kept changing the agreements and so Gazprom decided it was not longer economic to proceed on the new terms. He called the EU's bluff, and now it is up to them to respond appropriately.
.
...and not tarring and feathering McCain when they had the chance.
Same old, same old for Bulgaria. During the 2nd world war Bulgaria was the only country to be at war with both the Axis and the Allies. They still got invaded and occupied. This time, while trying to play both sides, they just get ignored.
Spoke to some peeps in the Balkans, and they tell me they're pissed at Brussels and DC.
They were gearing up for Southstream and now it's a bust. They feel like busting some heads. Busting some balls as a minimum.
They could always do a little pipeline and pipe vodka thru it.
Obama is probably furious that his idiotic plans to sell US gas in Europe are now over again.
Impossibly well funded Nazi overthrow of the Bulgarian government in 3...2...1...
Bit more work for the Kiev snipers eh.
I wouldn't trust those rascally Euronutz. they're still holding two ships Russia has paid for.
If the Europeons want to play hard ball they better learn when to hold em and when to fold.
The two ships provide very little strategic benefit to Russia's overall military might. Given where the Ruble trades today, If France defaults, Russia can build their own at a fraction of the cost and use the foreign gains and penalties forfeited by France to build out other areas of the military.
Your 100% right but,,,, It's the principle! Somebody's got to have principles. Somebody has to make it clear to the Europeons that their not Abraham and the u.s.s.a isn't God.
Personally I couldn't believe Russia was (at first) going ahead with South Stream while the Euro's were holding their ships ransom.
The french people just lost out on possible future lucrative projects playing the new u.s Demonize Russia game. Now it's Bulgaria's turn.
Plus France reneging on the deal cuts its credibility as an international arms dealer to zero.
The best outcome for Russia is for the deal to fail.
junkie was, is, and always will be a fool.
he's the right man for this job.
should consider running for congress.
the kenyan pulled it off.
Relax EUwop Obama's got All the Gaz Up his Ass you need.
Honestly, those gratituous and staged Karate pics are fucking lame. Why even post them? Is that dude somehow more "manly" or "capable"? Is this how low our political discourse has dropped? It's not going to lift the Ruble, nor Gazproms ADRs, nor give us a concrete idea of how all this will unfold.
The whole Ukraine/Russia/Gazprom debacle is a mess that won't get any better in the forseeable future. I wish all those invested in Gazprom the best of luck. They'll need it.
Do we have us a sore loser?
EU will declare victory over Russia for double the price of nat gas and appology to Putin.
And as a proof of new found friendship, ukraininan oligarchs will be dispatched from this world via Vicki Nulan cookie express (just her cookies, no need to add any special poison).
Sweet taste of Victory.
Why was southstream opposed by the people who control McCain (and others)? Why would McCain types even be involved in a purely EU issue and why is a needed pipeine to supply gas to the EU to be opposed?
The people who control McCain are in the process of taking control of WUkraine. Once they have complete control of WUk they have control of the gas lines to the EU and thus greater ability to blackmail the EU and to play other devious games.
The other reason is also why Syria is getting hotter. Once they get their pipeline through Syria they can connect and start supplying gas to the EU. Prevent the southstream pipeline, control the WUk pipeline (accidents happen) and you have a captured customer in the EU. A customer you now exert influence and ruthless pressure on and whose economy you now influence.
It would be a great mistake for Russia to go back to southstream. It can be stopped or closed with a pen in the form of santions at any time.
Watch to see if Syria ramps up again.
I think you analyzed the situation perfectly.
To use a football phrase, you might say that the EU has had its ass handed to it on a platter.
Why would Russia change course with the new direction to Turkey? Why should they comply with EU anything? The Russians are following an independent course, so why would they give up that freedom of movement to cowtow to the EU (NATO).
Oh, and also, fuck the EU unelected Parliament.
This is another game by the EU and Russia folks......wake up Russia knew of this whole game
http://newworldorderg20.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/e-u-president-to-remove-restrictions-on-south-stream-of-course-smoke-and-mirrors-to-begin-with/
Don't forget Russia is a globalist U.N. loving member just like the U.S.
http://newworldorderg20.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/russia-helps-bring-belarus-into-world-trade-organization-through-u-n-fund-communism-for-all/
Russia’s Globalist Connections – U.N.’s Michael Moller
G20 Has No Disputes on Global Agenda – Russia Deputy Minister
http://newworldorderg20.wordpress.com/
Russia may not be so flexible now as before. They signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Turkish pipeline ministry. While it does not have the weight of a formal contract, it still is rather ticklish to back out of a MOU. http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/23321
I suspect this talk by Junker is to make the Turkish deal shaky but he has no intention of letting Russian pipelines into Eastern Europe without at least partial EU ownership.
So, no deal. Nice try, though.
+1 for your shrewd observation. Dovetailing your hypothesis, I'd add that the pipeline to Turkey front-runs the need for a Qatar-Iraq-Syria-Turkey pipeline. That's just too many countries and psychos messing with business.
And Yisrael can buy from Gazprom also, via Turkey, Lebanon and Syria, or have the US pay for an undersea pipeline from Turkey.
Thanks USSA, and ISIS. You really know how to screw things up.
It seems most who post on Zerohedge saw this coming. Why didn't Washington and the EU? Which leaves only two choices: either our leaders are the dumbest fucks ever, or they are controlled by big oil and the private central banks. Which is more plausible? I know which one gets my vote.
"either our leaders are the dumbest fucks ever, or they are controlled by big oil and the private central banks. "
What about both? Corruption doesn't buy the best minds, you know...
Here's the figure. The EU 3rd energy package was specially designed to address the one and only problem EU bureaucrats find about Russia: its energy companies are state-owned or state-controlled.
EU want to import gaz and energy from Russia (in fact NEED), but they also want to control the companies responsible for the extraction and shipment.
So, that's the root of the occident policy with Russia, and the key of Putin's hatery: he stopped the whole privatization of the Russian energy and ressources.
Agree. Also: "privatization" is code for "handing ownership over to Jacob Rothschild" as per Washington Times article about the old Yukos company.
You took the words out of my mouth. The Russians know all about the 'privatizations' in the 1990's when Larry 'The Looter' Summers and his tribal cronies cleaned out the country's wealth.
Bulgaria and Hungary can always build a pipeline to Turkey using their own money. Isn't it so simple?
Then they can sanction Russia, and Russia will turn on or turn off the pipeline.
All the states that want to be independent and preserve their sovereignty will eventually cling to Putin. Others will remain Washington's bitchez and continue to sell their national interests for the fiat. Good riddance!
Just a small correction.
Borisov's nickname in Bulgaria is not "Batman". It is simply "Boko the Pumpkin".
A thug, a simpleton and a shadow business player.
It's all in the leaked US State Department correspondemce with their embassy.
"Turkey does not have to choose between EU and Russia." - Russian sources claim those are the words of the Turkish Minister for energy and natural resources.
http://ria.ru/world/20141208/1037197058.html
Batman opened himself up to a couple of great groin shots in the pics.
Here is the deal : EU LIFTS ITS SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA AND RUSSIA BUILDS SOUTH STREAM . EU must play for its own interests instead of acting like a vassal for fucking usa govt . Period .
"Borisov also said South Stream could be built and agreed it had to comply with EU rules, including legislation known as the third energy package, which limits how much of a pipeline a company can own if it also controls its contents."
They still don't get it, do they? The Rooshans DON'T WANT the third energy package, a law that was passed specifically for the UE to despoil Gazprom and pillage the benefits of the South Stream pipeline (with the Rooshans paying to be robbed).
So, it comes to that: either the EU stops taking the Rooshans for cretins and drops the third energy package, Gazprom does what the hell it wants and the UE gets its cheap gas, or Gazprom goes through Turkey, does what the hell it wants and the Turks get the cheap gas.
The EU chooses. As simple as that.
[Bunch of retards.]
"In short, of the $3.2 billion disbursed to the Ukrainian treasury by the IMF at the start of May, $3.1 billion had disappeared offshore by the middle of August. The role of the leading Ukrainian banks, and of the Kiev officials allied with them, in arranging this was reported."
This was posted by 'Penny' on a vineyard website. If true, perhaps not a good idea to give them any more fodder if that's what they do with it.
They found a bit of cash for gas somewhere. "MOSCOW, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Russian natural gas producer Gazprom said on Saturday it had received a prepayment of $378.22 million from Ukraine for natural gas supplies, paving the way for the first shipments to Kiev since Moscow cut supplies in June."
"...$3.1 billion had disappeared offshore by the middle of August. ..."
what took them so long?
$378.22 million paid out of $3.1 billion ~ nearly 90% skimmed off for the oligarchs.
Oh, give the oligarchs 80 pct. After all, bullets for the East Ukraine war gotta cost something.
Putin to Juncker: "What part of 'you have been pWned' do you not understand? "
If Putin & Gazprom reconsider South Stream, they will wisely demand some rock solid financial guarantees from the EU & Junkett, not just words from a self-confessed liar.
forget that...
nothing europe eu can be trusted
you know this already
let eurofags get own pipe laid. beg for gas with turkie, who can't be trusted at least
Glad to see you share my disdain for the EU ;-)
Funny joke
King Pyrrhus of Epirus said : “If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans we shall be utterly ruined.”
not Russians
The evidence that all this is NOT, NEVER WAS, NEVER WILL BE, NO! NO! about a Russian Energy Monopoly in Europe is overwhelilming.
No. No! NO!
It is about four F-16s in Lithuania.
How long will it take for McCain to fly to Europe?
Europe is occupied and blackmailed by USA and Israel (200 rockets with a-bombs pointed at Europe).
Otherwise EU would be all hands in Assian markets today, ditching the unnecessary Uk and USA.
I don't think it's missiles that Europe is being blackmailed by, but it sure is something. Talk about shooting themselves in the fott again and again.
NSA must have got some extra-naughty pics off of everybody's smart phones in order to get this level of "cooperation."
I have been wondering for some time what the US has on Merkel to get her to roll over and destroy Germany's access to its fastest growing export market - Russia. There is a rumor out that the US has the old East German Stazi files that show Merkel acting against West German interests.
Now, will Putin bar German cars and trucks from the Russian market?
The Russians won't return to help out the EU. First, look at Junker's language he's blaming them for this mess and then he's saying the EU meeting this week will suddenly clear all the obstacles for South Stream to go ahead. Russia has been fighting to be able build this this for some time now and the EU has tried to block Austria, Hungry, Serbia, but only Bulgaria folded.
When Putin announced the cancellation he said the problem was the EU blocking it; he also mentioned in his state of the nation speech that the European countries have forgotten what being a sovereign nation means, IE they are puppets of the EU which is just the master puppet of the controlling US interests. So the Russians don't see a future in dealing with EU since the US sanctions have been acknowledged by them as a long term deal and EU will follow them regardless of the cost to Europeans. Russia has just signaled that is is finally done with the "Westernization" experiment and will expand towards the east / Asia. They will build the Turkey pipeline, which is the same capacity, and the transit hub on the Turkey /Greek border so the Turks can resell it to Europe if they want, but now Europe will have to build the internal distribution pipelines at their cost. Just remember Turkey has been just about grovelling at the EU's feet to get into the EU but has not been allowed into the club, so maybe they sell the gas westward at a high price or maybe not.
What comes out of this is that Putin has now created some discord within the EU, some "folks" lost a lot of money as preparation / construction had started in some places so contacts were in place. Maybe now the Europeans will consider growing some ... and stand up to the Brussels idiots, time will tell, but a less centralized controlled Europe will probably be better for Russian business.
Also, Russia has a limited amount of natural gas, the historic volumes are pretty steady, so they have to be careful about over extending themselves which is probably why the Turkey pipeline has the same capacity. They don't really see a resurgence of the Southern European economies happening based on the current EU economic policies so this may have also been factored in as a negative for the future of payments, since they wouldn't want two Ukraines on their books.
The other thing that this will affect is the situation in Syria as the gas to Turkey will impact on the need for the "phantom" Qatari pipeline that the war is being fought over. Apparently Putin and Erdogan agreed on everything about the Syrian War situation except the Assad government. Its amazing to me how Putin can get agreement on just about everything and Sec Kerry / Obama get zip, somebody has been reading "How to Win friends and influence People" and it must be the Russian language edition. Turkey is the "bridge" to the West/Europe, the East/Asia and the South/Middle East-Africa also, so they can play this in many ways if they build a LNG terminal they could export to the world. So, Russia just needs to get them the gas and Turkey can sell it on as it chooses.
With regards to the French and the Mistrals, I'll bet the Russian's are hoping that the French breach the contract and don't give them the ships. They would be able to get their money back for the over priced ships plus penalties since a the original order was really a "suck up to the west and buy their ships" move. The interesting thing about it is that all the fittings are Russian property which includes a major section of the stern, so France would have to cut the ships up to return the Russian gear. At least the shipyard would have some work for the cutting torch crews for a while before they close down.
As a final comment, the MSM is spinning the South Stream cancellation as a defeat for Putin, as if this was the final game in the series, that it is not. What has been going on this past year is just the starting games of the regular season, we aren't even close to the play-off's yet so buckle up boys!
Delighted to see the EU being outsmarted yet again by Putin who called their bluff and won.
I agree.
When Putin rose to power in the late 1990s, he put Russia on a path of economic and political cooperation with the West. The West has bitten the hand that was extended to it. Putin now sees the future of Russia best served with the Eurasian bloc and BRICS/Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and Russia actively threatened by NATO and the US war hawks. I expect the US/EU/NATO cabal to turn up the the temperature of their new Cold War even further - I just hope the idiots do not spark a hot war.
I note that the US nationalist and controversial figure Lyndon Larouche issued a statement on Dec. 5th that some Europeans now see a 70-75% chance of nuclear war with Russia, and he calls for Victoria Nuland to be fired immediately from her post as Under-Secretary of State for European and the Eurasian Affairs, calling her "a dangerous idiot", a "highly active provocateur" ans saying "throw the bitch out". Very entertaining language, if nothing else.
MSM spinning the South Stream cancellation as a defeat of Putin is proof that it was a good move, the right thing for Gazprom to do. Whenever the MSM is pushing the party line, just assume the opposite.
Seems that everybody's fucking with the EU now.
BIS can't have america, or russia creating competition,(non-nwo agenda), to their OPEC, (nwo agenda approved), monopoly, (sorry cartel).
as we've seen in ww1-ww11, and all other military actions, 100's of millions in human lives doesn't matter, the nwo agenda's means justify their ends, in fact these 100's of millions of deaths is one their specified ends.
we'll soon see if 7+ billion of the worlds population have the will, or power to reverse the agenda of a few thousand, before another 100 million humans die, real quickly this time.
I love Juncker. First he comes from his career in Luxembourg where he spawned tax-avoidance schemes for trans-nationals, to the EC where he announces he will spawn programs to defeat tax avoidance, then he trumpets anti-Russian propaganda and self-defeating sanctions, then he joins the EC move to keep Russian gas confined to the risky Ukraine pipelines (to force Russia to give Ukraine a deal on cheap gas, and to give up ownership and control of South Stream to the EC?) by blocking South Stream. Now he says Putin is the bad guy because Putin gave up on South Stream and has moved the gas to Turk Stream.
Juncker says "it takes two to tango". So now he wants to dance. Has he noticed that Putin has changed the record and filled his dance card?
Juncker could play all Three Stooges singlehandedly. Even without John McCain's help.
If there was still any doubt:
Russian state gas company Gazprom said Dec. 8 it would set up a company to build a gas pipeline to Turkey, days after President Vladimir Putin announced the new project.
“The company will be registered in St. Petersburg ... [it] is called Gazprom Russkaya,” Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kuprianov said in a statement.