Sanction against Russia for West-choreographed conflict in Ukraine

[bryant.coleman]

China to start direct sales of fruit and vegetables to Russia
http://rt.com/business/179376-russia-china-fruit-vegetable/

lol... I had predicted this earlier.

In any conflict between Russia and the West, it will be the Chinese who gain the most.

Earlier they were able to secure a favorable gas deal from Russia (Gazprom will sell gas to China at $380 per K Cu M, as compared to $700 for LNG and $400 for Russian gas to Germany). And now fruits and vegetables. Next will be meat.

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[Nemo1024]

Some more sanctions fun:

Finland will not impose counter-counter-sanctions in reply to Russia's counter-sanctions blocking food imports:
http://lenta.ru/news/2014/08/14/finland/

Switzerland is late to the playground and hardened its sanctioned against Russia:
http://www.bfm.ru/news/268943

Both Belarus and Kazakhstan will continue with European imports. Belarus previously promised to ensure that the prohibited goods will not enter Russian market through the country:
http://finance.rambler.ru/news/economics/149434011.html?utm_source=news&utm_content=finance&utm_medium=midcolup&utm_campaign=cross_promo
See, Trade Union is rather flexible.

Experts from Danish bank predict that EU will drop its sanctions and Russia will drop it counter-sanctions within three months:
http://lenta.ru/news/2014/08/14/denmark/

And in USA, business comes first. Pentagon insists on buying Russian helicopters Mi-17B5 for a mission in Afghanistan, despite protests from the Congress:
http://ria.ru/world/20140814/1019957311.html

[bryant.coleman]

Both Belarus and Kazakhstan will continue with European imports. Belarus previously promised to ensure that the prohibited goods will not enter Russian market through the country

This is a bad sign. Belarus is part of the customs union. So European goods imported in Belarus can easily end up in Russia. That said, asking Lukashenko to enforce the sanctions would be a bit too much, as the Russians are not giving him anything in return.

[niothor]

Both Belarus and Kazakhstan will continue with European imports. Belarus previously promised to ensure that the prohibited goods will not enter Russian market through the country

This is a bad sign. Belarus is part of the customs union. So European goods imported in Belarus can easily end up in Russia. That said, asking Lukashenko to enforce the sanctions would be a bit too much, as the Russians are not giving him anything in return.

It has already happened and ti will continue to be like that.

Before Russia battened down the hatches, Belarus was boosting exports, including those of produce that the nation itself doesn’t grow. Last year it more than quadrupled shipments of bananas and pineapples to Russia, trade data show. After delivering 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of avocados two years ago, Belarus sent 53,355 kilograms of them in 2013.

Weird that new zealand is not on the ban list so Australia will use it as a back door.

A pretty interesting situation is unfolding on the other side of the globe.
Japan is banning almost every week another product from china after the whole chicken meat scandal.

And the Japanese market is larger than the Russian one. So , can Europe secure a buyer for the extra products?

[Nemo1024]

Latest news from Ukraine: they have finalised the list of sanctions against Russia. 
http://www.bfm.ru/news/269001

President will have absolute power in naming sanctions against whoever he sees fit. Well, at least they excluded sanctioning mass media for saying "the wrong things".

[bryant.coleman]

Latest news from Ukraine: they have finalised the list of sanctions against Russia. 
http://www.bfm.ru/news/269001

They will ban the Russian banks and seize petrol pumps and such things run by the Russian companies. Beyond that what they are going to do? They don't have the balls to stop the gas supplies to the EU.

[Nemo1024]

Both Belarus and Kazakhstan will continue with European imports. Belarus previously promised to ensure that the prohibited goods will not enter Russian market through the country

This is a bad sign. Belarus is part of the customs union. So European goods imported in Belarus can easily end up in Russia. That said, asking Lukashenko to enforce the sanctions would be a bit too much, as the Russians are not giving him anything in return.

I think it's actually good. It shows that each country in the Trade Union can still pursue their individual foreign polices, so this potentially strengthens the trust in the Trade Union.

On the topic of sanctions and estrangement, Switzerland cancelled the planned for the end of September visit of the Speaker of the Russian Parliament to the country, in connection with the sanctions. The visit was connected to commemoration of 200 years since Switzerland and Russia established diplomatic relations, so this is rather ironic.

We can say to good-bye to Switzerland's neutrality as a thing of the past...

PS:

EU sanctons 'shooting oneself in the foot' - Hungary PM
http://rt.com/business/180564-eu-russia-sanctions-hungary/
http://en.ria.ru/world/20140815/192033400/EU-Shot-Itself-in-Foot-With-Russia-Sanctions--Hungarian-Prime.html

“The EU should not only compensate producers somehow, be they Polish, Slovak, Hungarian or Greek, who now have to suffer losses, but the entire sanctions policy should be reconsidered,” the Hungarian Prime Minister said, saying he is already looking for support to force through changes.

...

On Thursday, Matteo Salvini the leader of Italy’s Northern League party called on Brussels to immediately repeal the sanctions against Russia.

“Only fools, Brussels and Rome, could decide to impose economic sanctions against Russia, which now sends us back tons of Italian agricultural products worth more than €1 billion,” Salvini wrote on his Facebook page “Who will pay our farmers? Renzi? Merkel?”

Russia Remains Finland’s Number One Trade Partner – Putin
http://en.ria.ru/world/20140815/192035896/Russia-Remains-Finlands-Number-One-Trade-Partner--Putin.html

[niothor]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-15/russia-said-to-brace-for-price-growth-at-5-year-high-on-food-ban.html

Annual inflation is likely to accelerate to 8 percent in 2015, far above a 4.5 percent target, the officials said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public. Prices may grow 10 percent next year for the first time since 2008 if tit-for-tat sanctions escalate, two of them said.

Metro AG’s Cash & Carry unit in Russia said vendors are seeking to charge 4 percent to 10 percent more for supplies.

Putin’s food ban alone may add about 2 percentage points to inflation in the next 12 months, the officials said. It’s sped up from a record low of 3.6 percent in May 2012 to a 7.5 percent in July, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Earlier decisions by Russia’s food safety watchdog to block pork imports have already added 1 percentage point to inflation this year, Natalia Orlova, chief economist at Alfa Bank in Moscow, said by phone. The bank raised its 2015 inflation forecast to 8 percent.

Russia’s central bank has said consumer-price growth will reach 6 percent to 6.5 percent this year, missing its 5 percent target.

Such wow , russian economy is going to the moon , dogecoin style

[Fray]

Latest news from Ukraine: they have finalised the list of sanctions against Russia. 
http://www.bfm.ru/news/269001

They will ban the Russian banks and seize petrol pumps and such things run by the Russian companies. Beyond that what they are going to do? They don't have the balls to stop the gas supplies to the EU.

This may sound small on paper but can have a very large impact on the Russian economy. If the Russian economy is slowed enough then Russia will have trouble paying for it's War Machine.

[Balthazar]

This may sound small on paper but can have a very large impact on the Russian economy. If the Russian economy is slowed enough then Russia will have trouble paying for it's War Machine.

Is this a joke? I'm asking because I have serious problem with choice... Which part of statement should I choose as a reason for laugh? Thank you.

[bryant.coleman]

This may sound small on paper but can have a very large impact on the Russian economy. If the Russian economy is slowed enough then Russia will have trouble paying for it's War Machine.

If the Kiev junta Seize a few petrol pumps, then it is going to affect the Russian economy? IMO, the Russian economy wont be touched until there is an embargo imposed over Russian oil and gas.

[Nemo1024]

The most amusing  thing that I find here, is all the Westerners that seemingly dream seeing Russian economy fail and Russia plunged into 1917-style chaos. What they don't realise, is that by doing so, they cut the branch that they are themselves sitting on (or digging their own grave).

Poland thinks about forbidding import of Russian coal (that currently covers 40% of the country's needs) as a counter-counter-sanction to Russian counter-sanctions to Polish and EU sanctions:
http://lenta.ru/news/2014/08/16/coal/

Absurdity still reigns supreme. 

[niothor]

Of course , nothing is hurting the russians. Except maybe for this.


Suppliers have raised prices for some fish by 20-36%, one of Russia's biggest retailers, X5 Retail Group, complained to Russia's government, the Kommersant business daily reported on Wednesday. Suppliers reported shortages and higher prices for fruit, retailers braced for milk prices to go up, and some meat suppliers were engaging in price speculation, Kommersant reported.

Russia's Central Bank warned last week that the sanctions are likely to increase an already rising inflation rate. Even so, Russia's government has pledged that prices will not go up as a result of the import ban, promising that the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service will check reports of suppliers raising prices.


Where have i see this move... i wonder where...oh...Venezuela
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=330687.0

Prominent nationalist commentators have ridiculed those complaining about the import ban as pampered middle-class consumers who have developed an elitist taste for foreign cheese and prosciutto.

Yup nemo , the current Russia is not like the URSS....nothing alike

[Nemo1024]

Um, so it's Russia's fault that it's being brought to its knees as soon as it tries to lift its head and throw off the shackles? Nice logic.

[niothor]

Um, so it's Russia's fault that it's being brought to its knees as soon as it tries to lift its head and throw off the shackles? Nice logic.

WHAT???
Russia brought to its knees? But rt and itartass and ria all said that the west will crumple , they will get bankrupt , Russia won't feel even 1% of the sanctions.
And now we are talking about 8 percent inflation , 20% price increase , and the biggest company asking the government for a 42 billion bailout?

Which one of those above is true?

Russia's state-controlled energy giant Rosneft has asked the Russian government for a $42bn (£25.2bn) loan, as it feels the impact of Western sanctions.

The government said it will consider the request from Igor Sechin, head of Rosneft, in the next two weeks.

Sanctions on Russia have limited Rosneft's ability to raise funds.

Rosneft has requested the money from the National Wealth Fund, which finances state pensions.

[Nemo1024]

Ok, attempted brought to its knees. Happy? I am talking about the intent, not the end result, which will probably be the collapse of economy both in Russia and in EU, with USA being the only winner.

[niothor]

Ok, attempted brought to its knees. Happy? I am talking about the intent, not the end result, which will probably be the collapse of economy both in Russia and in EU, with USA being the only winner.

Collapse of the EU? Why? Because of the € 140 billion trade? Germany had $1.516 trillion exported in 2012.
Indeed probably the us will be the only winner as the EU won't get unscratched from this but collapse...

Please don't start with the swan song for the EU. People were and still are obsessed for centuries with this fall of the old continent and nothing happened.

2007 , 2009 , 2013 the eu was supposed to crumble , Greece and Spain also to get out of the union ... and what where the real results?
The union is as strong as it was before.
Only haters try desperately to find a real reason for it to break apart , thing they haven't found yet.

[Nemo1024]

Don't count me as hater. I like the general idea of EU (while watching it from a country that voted twice against joining the EU), but I also see its flaws, which systemically remind of the flaws of USSR.

As you yourself pointed out to me with regard to your attitude towards Russia, criticizing does not mean hating.

[niothor]

Don't count me as hater. I like the general idea of EU (while watching it from a country that voted twice against joining the EU), but I also see its flaws, which systemically remind of the flaws of USSR.

As you yourself pointed out to me with regard to your attitude towards Russia, criticizing does not mean hating.

I wasn't talking about you specifically but you did think and wrote that this might led the EU to ruin.
I don't think so and I doubt that even turning off all trades with russia might inflict such a serious damage to the union.

Time will tell if any of us is right but I do hope we won't have to pick a winner.

[Nemo1024]

Don't count me as hater. I like the general idea of EU (while watching it from a country that voted twice against joining the EU), but I also see its flaws, which systemically remind of the flaws of USSR.

As you yourself pointed out to me with regard to your attitude towards Russia, criticizing does not mean hating.

I wasn't talking about you specifically but you did think and wrote that this might led the EU to ruin.
I don't think so and I doubt that even turning off all trades with russia might inflict such a serious damage to the union.

Time will tell if any of us is right but I do hope we won't have to pick a winner.

I hope not, too.

However, I do believe that EU stands to lose more if this kindergarten bantering of sanctions, counter-sanctions and counter-counter-sanctions continues. I would have given a different prognosis 6-7 years ago, when European economy was much stronger, but not now. Even though Russian economy saw only a moderate, if any, improvement, European economy has been on a steady downward trend. The problem is the same as in USSR, where there were only a few donor republics, with the rest living off of them. Once donor republic's excess capacity is used up, the system is in a dangerous state. In EU, such donor republics are Germany and France, and they are at the breaking point trying to sustain the union.