EU and Euro
The product of oil is basically a global product, and today's voyage tankers have astonishing capacity to deliver oil to any port. But natural gas is slightly different. Natural gas is more of a local product, because the cost of natural gas pipeline transportation is much lower than that of LNG through tankers. Normally, LNG from the United States is more expensive than pipeline gas from Russia. about 40% higher. This makes the strategic significance of each natural gas pipeline far greater than the pipeline for transporting oil.
Europe's answer to ridding the devil: another devil
Who is the other devil? Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.
After a few years, Russia declined. And Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan will rise by selling energy.
When Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan rise, the fourth world war will break out.
Re: EU and Euro
2Natural gas export is also an important industry in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has the world's largest natural gas field, the Shah Deniz field in the western Caspian Sea. In fact, since 2015, Azerbaijan has been looking to sell its natural gas to Europe.
In 2016, Azerbaijan began construction of a gas pipeline from the Shah Deniz field westward across the Caucasus Mountains, through Turkey and the Balkans, and across the Adriatic Sea to Italy. The project, called the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), will be completed by the end of 2020. This project aroused opposition from many people at the time of its construction. Democracies believed that gas should not be bought from totalitarian and nationalist Azerbaijan. Environmentalists believed that it would pollute the environment. Free people believed that it would bring benefits to the religious extremist Turkey. , and even Russia objected, because after all, it robbed Russia of business. In short, the pipeline was built amid a chorus of opposition.
Turkmenistan has the fourth largest natural gas reserves in the world. In February last year, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan reached an agreement to lay a natural gas pipeline in the Caspian Sea to connect Turkmen natural gas through this pipeline to the TAP pipeline from Azerbaijan to Europe. In this way, Turkmenistan can also supply gas to Europe.
In 2016, Azerbaijan began construction of a gas pipeline from the Shah Deniz field westward across the Caucasus Mountains, through Turkey and the Balkans, and across the Adriatic Sea to Italy. The project, called the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), will be completed by the end of 2020. This project aroused opposition from many people at the time of its construction. Democracies believed that gas should not be bought from totalitarian and nationalist Azerbaijan. Environmentalists believed that it would pollute the environment. Free people believed that it would bring benefits to the religious extremist Turkey. , and even Russia objected, because after all, it robbed Russia of business. In short, the pipeline was built amid a chorus of opposition.
Turkmenistan has the fourth largest natural gas reserves in the world. In February last year, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan reached an agreement to lay a natural gas pipeline in the Caspian Sea to connect Turkmen natural gas through this pipeline to the TAP pipeline from Azerbaijan to Europe. In this way, Turkmenistan can also supply gas to Europe.
Re: EU and Euro
3Since the outbreak of the Ukrainian war, the United States has been out of action because it wants to avoid a possible nuclear war with Russia. The only means for Western countries to contain the war in Ukraine were moral condemnation and economic sanctions, which were scuttled by the refusal of leftist parties in Western European countries to abandon the green energy policy. Such an international situation is beyond the expectations of most people, but the reason is very simple, that is, the left scourges the country.
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4If European countries not only continue to buy Russian natural gas, but also continue to buy rubles equivalent to tens of billions of euros for this purpose, the financial sanctions of the West will be broken, and Russia will not have a shortage of foreign exchange, at most, the foreign exchange reserves already stored in European banks will be temporarily. can not be used, and Russia's balance of payments will not experience difficulties. The EU wanted all member states to reject Putin's request collectively, but Hungary opposed it when the EU Council voted. The EU's rules of procedure are a one-vote veto system, so the EU member states' collective rejection of Putin's new decree was in vain. This means that EU member states will go their own way.
Many European countries have pursued the green energy policy of the western left, and are determined to reduce or even stop coal power generation and nuclear power; according to this policy, only natural gas can be used, so many European countries have switched to natural gas for power generation. In this way, Russia's pipeline natural gas has become the first choice for energy sources in many European countries, which has also resulted in European countries' initiative to establish energy dependence on Russia. Since the Ukrainian War, if European countries have imposed economic sanctions on Russia, they cannot continue to buy Russian natural gas; and it is not easy for them to get rid of their energy dependence on Russia. Once Russia's natural gas supply is interrupted, these European countries will not only have no natural gas for home heating, And industrial energy is gone, and the economy will collapse.
In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Martin Brudermüller, president of the global chemical industry giant and Germany's BASF, was asked if Germany's purchase of Russian crude oil and natural gas was equivalent to funding Putin's war. Rudmler replied that it is true, but if Germany stops importing Russian energy, it will "destroy our rich life". It can be seen from this that EU countries are dependent on Russia for natural gas, and for political reasons they refuse to “slap their face” and give up their green energy policy. It is probably not Russia that loses in the EU-Russia economic war, but EU countries , especially Germany.
Many European countries have pursued the green energy policy of the western left, and are determined to reduce or even stop coal power generation and nuclear power; according to this policy, only natural gas can be used, so many European countries have switched to natural gas for power generation. In this way, Russia's pipeline natural gas has become the first choice for energy sources in many European countries, which has also resulted in European countries' initiative to establish energy dependence on Russia. Since the Ukrainian War, if European countries have imposed economic sanctions on Russia, they cannot continue to buy Russian natural gas; and it is not easy for them to get rid of their energy dependence on Russia. Once Russia's natural gas supply is interrupted, these European countries will not only have no natural gas for home heating, And industrial energy is gone, and the economy will collapse.
In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Martin Brudermüller, president of the global chemical industry giant and Germany's BASF, was asked if Germany's purchase of Russian crude oil and natural gas was equivalent to funding Putin's war. Rudmler replied that it is true, but if Germany stops importing Russian energy, it will "destroy our rich life". It can be seen from this that EU countries are dependent on Russia for natural gas, and for political reasons they refuse to “slap their face” and give up their green energy policy. It is probably not Russia that loses in the EU-Russia economic war, but EU countries , especially Germany.
Re: EU and Euro
5The energy woes in Germany and other EU countries are the result of green energy policies. To insist on green energy in order to be "politically correct", it is necessary to shut down coal-fired power plants and nuclear power plants and use only natural gas, which is not caused by market demand, but a deliberate choice by man. Now the green energy policy has become one of the sources of "legitimacy" of the political "progressive" of European leftist parties, and the dependence on natural gas caused by the green energy policy has in turn formed the energy dependence on Russia.
From an economic point of view, the method to break the EU countries' energy dependence on Russia is very simple. The recovery of coal power generation and nuclear power generation can remove the "sling rope" from the "neck". But the essence of Europe's energy crisis is not an economic problem, but a political one. For the leftist governments of European countries, if they destroy the "politically correct" god card of climate policy, it is tantamount to political suicide. Therefore, European countries are now caught in a dilemma: the green energy policy cannot be denied politically, and the green energy policy cannot be continued economically. Putin dares to play with the EU because he sees that the EU countries have jumped into a trap. This is why today European countries are in a dilemma over the Ukrainian war.
Now the views of European countries on the Ukraine crisis are changing, and there are various plans based on their own economic interests. Some smaller countries such as North Macedonia and Moldova are completely dependent on Russia’s natural gas supply; countries such as Finland, Serbia and Latvia import 90% of their natural gas from Russia; nearly 80% of their natural gas from Hungary and Bulgaria comes from Russia; about half of Germany’s natural gas imports from Russia; Russia's natural gas dependence rate is also 46%; Greece's dependence on Russian natural gas is 40%; France's natural gas only comes from Russia; half of the UK's natural gas comes from China, and imported natural gas mainly comes from Norway and Qatar; Energy supply comes from Algeria and the United States; Greece signed gas supply contracts with Azerbaijan and Algeria at the beginning of the Ukrainian war; Bulgaria began to build a natural gas pipeline from Greece to Bulgaria in 2011, which is about to be completed recently, which can connect the source of natural gas Switch from Russia to another country. At present, except for Poland, which has a tougher stance on Russia, other European countries that are highly dependent on natural gas are opposed to energy sanctions. This interest-oriented attitude has greatly weakened the strength of Western sanctions against Russia, and objectively supported Putin's Ukraine war.
From an economic point of view, the method to break the EU countries' energy dependence on Russia is very simple. The recovery of coal power generation and nuclear power generation can remove the "sling rope" from the "neck". But the essence of Europe's energy crisis is not an economic problem, but a political one. For the leftist governments of European countries, if they destroy the "politically correct" god card of climate policy, it is tantamount to political suicide. Therefore, European countries are now caught in a dilemma: the green energy policy cannot be denied politically, and the green energy policy cannot be continued economically. Putin dares to play with the EU because he sees that the EU countries have jumped into a trap. This is why today European countries are in a dilemma over the Ukrainian war.
Now the views of European countries on the Ukraine crisis are changing, and there are various plans based on their own economic interests. Some smaller countries such as North Macedonia and Moldova are completely dependent on Russia’s natural gas supply; countries such as Finland, Serbia and Latvia import 90% of their natural gas from Russia; nearly 80% of their natural gas from Hungary and Bulgaria comes from Russia; about half of Germany’s natural gas imports from Russia; Russia's natural gas dependence rate is also 46%; Greece's dependence on Russian natural gas is 40%; France's natural gas only comes from Russia; half of the UK's natural gas comes from China, and imported natural gas mainly comes from Norway and Qatar; Energy supply comes from Algeria and the United States; Greece signed gas supply contracts with Azerbaijan and Algeria at the beginning of the Ukrainian war; Bulgaria began to build a natural gas pipeline from Greece to Bulgaria in 2011, which is about to be completed recently, which can connect the source of natural gas Switch from Russia to another country. At present, except for Poland, which has a tougher stance on Russia, other European countries that are highly dependent on natural gas are opposed to energy sanctions. This interest-oriented attitude has greatly weakened the strength of Western sanctions against Russia, and objectively supported Putin's Ukraine war.
Re: EU and Euro
6Ukraine fell victim to the left scourge of Germany:
Futures in the global natural gas market have risen from $1 in 2000 to an expected $5.7 this May. The skyrocketing price of natural gas has not only directly caused electricity prices to rise to the point where consumers are unbearable and steel and chemical companies are on the verge of shutting down production, but also spread to all walks of life, causing spreading inflationary pressures and dragging down the economies of various countries.
On March 30, the German "Bildderfrau" published an article "What does the freezing of Russian gas supplies mean for our daily life?". The article said that Russian gas is extremely important to Germany - not only for the economy, but also for the 20 million German households that are heated by natural gas. So Chancellor Scholz has repeatedly emphasized that the import of Russian gas and oil cannot be banned; otherwise, the embargo of Russian gas will have a profound impact on the economy and the German people, leading to company failures and mass unemployment... For years the federal government has been manipulating Entering this dependency on their own, in the future, some German consumers will have to wear thick sweaters at home in winter to cope with the dire bills.
Now Germans are very dissatisfied with household rationing of natural gas and skyrocketing prices, but they are also advocates of green energy. The political parties that pursue leftist policies in Germany are the ones that most German voters vote for. Many leftists in Germany, not wanting to reflect on their values, have blamed the United States for skyrocketing energy prices. In fact, the right to invent green energy belongs to Europe, especially Germany, while the United States did not implement a clear green energy policy until after Biden took office. Germany, the leader of the European Union, is and will remain in trouble. Germany's policy toward Russia for many years has been dictated by the utopian ideals of various leftist parties and politicians, and these policies have been negated by the reality of the war in Ukraine. This major historical error involves the successive ruling parties in German politics for decades, and it is impossible to get out of this predicament without clarifying the political responsibilities involved. Such a major mistake will cost Germany now and in the future a heavy economic price, and will ultimately depreciate the euro in the pockets of German voters. Political party leaders in Germany are reluctant to admit their mistakes, and the majority of voters are also reluctant to admit that they are wrong in supporting "political correctness". This is the inevitable consequence of leftists in power. And the consequences of the scourge of the left will spill over into the borders of the scourge of the left. Ukraine is such an example.
Futures in the global natural gas market have risen from $1 in 2000 to an expected $5.7 this May. The skyrocketing price of natural gas has not only directly caused electricity prices to rise to the point where consumers are unbearable and steel and chemical companies are on the verge of shutting down production, but also spread to all walks of life, causing spreading inflationary pressures and dragging down the economies of various countries.
On March 30, the German "Bildderfrau" published an article "What does the freezing of Russian gas supplies mean for our daily life?". The article said that Russian gas is extremely important to Germany - not only for the economy, but also for the 20 million German households that are heated by natural gas. So Chancellor Scholz has repeatedly emphasized that the import of Russian gas and oil cannot be banned; otherwise, the embargo of Russian gas will have a profound impact on the economy and the German people, leading to company failures and mass unemployment... For years the federal government has been manipulating Entering this dependency on their own, in the future, some German consumers will have to wear thick sweaters at home in winter to cope with the dire bills.
Now Germans are very dissatisfied with household rationing of natural gas and skyrocketing prices, but they are also advocates of green energy. The political parties that pursue leftist policies in Germany are the ones that most German voters vote for. Many leftists in Germany, not wanting to reflect on their values, have blamed the United States for skyrocketing energy prices. In fact, the right to invent green energy belongs to Europe, especially Germany, while the United States did not implement a clear green energy policy until after Biden took office. Germany, the leader of the European Union, is and will remain in trouble. Germany's policy toward Russia for many years has been dictated by the utopian ideals of various leftist parties and politicians, and these policies have been negated by the reality of the war in Ukraine. This major historical error involves the successive ruling parties in German politics for decades, and it is impossible to get out of this predicament without clarifying the political responsibilities involved. Such a major mistake will cost Germany now and in the future a heavy economic price, and will ultimately depreciate the euro in the pockets of German voters. Political party leaders in Germany are reluctant to admit their mistakes, and the majority of voters are also reluctant to admit that they are wrong in supporting "political correctness". This is the inevitable consequence of leftists in power. And the consequences of the scourge of the left will spill over into the borders of the scourge of the left. Ukraine is such an example.
Re: EU and Euro
7Putin said that Russia had asked NATO not to expand eastward to Ukraine and other ex-Soviet countries, but the West ignored such demands; he also said that Western countries had promised Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not will expand eastward. However, neither Gorbachev nor NATO have denied this claim. Gorbachev said in 2014 that "the topic of 'NATO expansion' was not discussed at all, nor was it raised in those years." NATO said no such agreement had ever been reached and that any European country could apply The "Open Door Policy" of joining has not changed. If Putin said he had such a promise, why didn't he show relevant documents? It seems that Putin is lying!
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8All russian rhetoric is fake. Putin only cares about power. Having a fake enemy is the easiest form of control. A story as old as time. This tactic was used and is still used by every despot in the world.
Putin attacked Ukraine after insisting for months there was no plan to do so and that he does not want war in Europe. Putin is always lying lol. Now he says there was no plan to take over in Ukraine. To save face. They thought they will take Kyiv in days. All they can do is throw bodies at the problem and bomb cities like Mariupol until there is no building left. Just like they did in Grozny (search on the internet) and Syria.
Look, in Europe we killed each other for millennia. War after war after war. We are tired of this shit.
Some smart guys thought that promoting common core values and economic cooperation could bring peace. This is how the European Union was born. We have become interdependent with each other. There is free movement of people, goods and capital. A war between European countries has become inconceivable. I'm biased but if you think about it, a concept like the European Union is a wonderful thing. But there are problems to overcome, of course.
Some Europeans thought they could cooperate with Russia. Countries like Germany have become dependent on Russian gas. They pumped billions of euros into the pockets of the Russians, without thinking that the money would be used for war. After the invasion of Crimea in 2014, Putin accumulated about $ 600 billion to deal with sanctions. Now it's obvious that he believed after invading Ukraine, he would be slightly criticized here and there, Russia would be lightly sanctioned, and that money would help him fight these sanctions very easily. Also, Elvira Nabiullina, the head of the Central Bank of Russia is very smart. She tried to resign but Putin won't let her go.
Things are a little different as you can see now. The world is outraged by this war and the sanctions are getting tougher.
Now back to NATO. Finland and Sweden will join NATO soon. Keep in mind they didn't want to join NATO before, but seeing that Russia can never be trusted, they decided it's safer to be part of NATO. So Putin has not only failed to achieve his goals, but is destroying his country economically, and NATO will expand anyway. It's not like we need Putin's approval for that.
You have to understand that most of the time his rhetoric is for the people of Russia. He threatens everyone to look tough at home.
NATO is a defensive alliance and no matter what the russians will say the power imbalance is insane. Even Putin said that. But NATO will not attack Russia because we are well aware that this will lead to World War III. The world just wanted to do business with Russia, not kill each other. Why would we want such a stupid thing? Now the West is trying to help Ukraine without escalating the conflict.
Putin attacked Ukraine after insisting for months there was no plan to do so and that he does not want war in Europe. Putin is always lying lol. Now he says there was no plan to take over in Ukraine. To save face. They thought they will take Kyiv in days. All they can do is throw bodies at the problem and bomb cities like Mariupol until there is no building left. Just like they did in Grozny (search on the internet) and Syria.
Look, in Europe we killed each other for millennia. War after war after war. We are tired of this shit.
Some smart guys thought that promoting common core values and economic cooperation could bring peace. This is how the European Union was born. We have become interdependent with each other. There is free movement of people, goods and capital. A war between European countries has become inconceivable. I'm biased but if you think about it, a concept like the European Union is a wonderful thing. But there are problems to overcome, of course.
Some Europeans thought they could cooperate with Russia. Countries like Germany have become dependent on Russian gas. They pumped billions of euros into the pockets of the Russians, without thinking that the money would be used for war. After the invasion of Crimea in 2014, Putin accumulated about $ 600 billion to deal with sanctions. Now it's obvious that he believed after invading Ukraine, he would be slightly criticized here and there, Russia would be lightly sanctioned, and that money would help him fight these sanctions very easily. Also, Elvira Nabiullina, the head of the Central Bank of Russia is very smart. She tried to resign but Putin won't let her go.
Things are a little different as you can see now. The world is outraged by this war and the sanctions are getting tougher.
Now back to NATO. Finland and Sweden will join NATO soon. Keep in mind they didn't want to join NATO before, but seeing that Russia can never be trusted, they decided it's safer to be part of NATO. So Putin has not only failed to achieve his goals, but is destroying his country economically, and NATO will expand anyway. It's not like we need Putin's approval for that.
You have to understand that most of the time his rhetoric is for the people of Russia. He threatens everyone to look tough at home.
NATO is a defensive alliance and no matter what the russians will say the power imbalance is insane. Even Putin said that. But NATO will not attack Russia because we are well aware that this will lead to World War III. The world just wanted to do business with Russia, not kill each other. Why would we want such a stupid thing? Now the West is trying to help Ukraine without escalating the conflict.
Re: EU and Euro
9A study released by the Independent Institute for Public Policy (IPP) in November last year, less than five months before the election, showed that the political and economic policies implemented by Macron have increased the real profits of the rich at the top, while the living standards of the poor have fallen relatively. The results of the study pointed out that the income of the top 1% increased by 2.8%; the income of the top 0.1% increased even more, reaching 4.1%, while the average purchasing power of the bottom 5% fell by 0.5%.
