Darkpriest

Hmm, i thought it was, they buy RUB at the bank and pay with them. Flow is similar but the FX risk is at a different party.

Not sure what do you mean by that? He signs a decree each year around this date, as such is the law apparently.

Seems some media are spinning too much of a narrative around concsription. That said, a lot of these conscripts will probably go to bases from which proper soldiers will be relocated to UA

and a few Lavor-leaning op-eds co read critically. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/india-mulls-russian-offer-swift-alternative-ruble-payments-lavrov-visits https://www.zerohedge.com/political/russia-china-foreign-ministers-meet-wednesday-discuss-fair-world-order

So it happened. https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/putin-signs-decree-ordering-gas-exports-be-halted-if-buyers-dont-pay-rubles April's Fools tomorrow... Lets see what happens over weekend.

Russian propaganda in action? Not sure what those crazy Ivans are doing...

Interesting pov on RUB rally ---- Eight Reasons For Ruble Rebound 1) Russia escaped Visa and Mastercard ( Mir cards based on NSPK. Those cards do not use the US payment system. One irony is that instead of Visa and Mastercard getting the fees, Russia's central bank collected 8.2 billion rubles in net profit, or about $94 million at current exchange rate) 2) Russia still trades oil and gas with Europe 3) Russia halted currency trades 4) Russia enacted stock market restrictions 5) Of Russian exporters, Russia demanded 80% of euros and dollars be traded for rubles. 6) Russia threatens to stop exporting key commodities including aluminum, natural gas, fertilizer, rare earth minerals, etc., driving up prices and the need to stockpile. 7) Sanctions cannot take away Russia's natural resources. The Fed can print dollars, it cannot print commodities. Likewise, the ECB can print euros, it cannot print commodities

Let see, seems that Scholz had a call with Putin today on this topic - no statements yet. Same with Italy's Draghi, also a call with Putin on gas paymenta in rubles

Meanwhile in China https://www.reuters.com/world/china-hosts-russia-us-officials-talks-afghanistan-2022-03-30/ And India https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-30/russia-proposes-swift-alternative-to-india-for-ruble-payments

So, is the German resident and business ready? https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/germany-scrambles-ration-gas-after-refusing-make-payments-rubles @Lexx

Probably something to do with investors such as blackrock. https://seekingalpha.com/news/3812649-blackrock-takes-17b-hit-from-russia-exposure-ft If it will open this will have to materialize in sales at unsaleable asstes, i.e. a total loss of capital invested.

They can reject it, but they will have to test that resolve when/if the gas will stop flowing due to non-payment. The EU doesn't have many alternatives now, and future is not so bright as well. https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/why-us-wont-succeed-weaning-europe-its-dependence-russian-gas

War? What war? RUB is at pre-invasion level Maybe some Russia bankruptcy calls were too optimistic?

It is, chechens hey, they can claim they are more inclusive than US!

To be honest US has a history of accepting other nations blood sacrifices, so they can extend their own influence in the result. Lets be honest, USA can fight this war to the last Ukrainian. USA has had a long time plan of severing ties of EU from Russia and this event did that overnight, making EU a pariah vassal of USA. Now EU is fully dependend on USA, both economically and in terms of energy and other resources, and at the same time it will remain inferior to US in its economic capabilities and power projection. It will also need to deal with a real war refugee crisis, on top of muslim economic migrant crisis and syrian war refugee crisis. US is very happy with how this turned out. 2 birds with one Ukraine. They might get burnt though as the geo-pol security will drive Asian and South American countries to dedolarize as soon as possible.

Some Russian released vid.

I've said it's Russia leaning, but if you will come at that angle alone and fully dismiss it, you will miss out on some nuance and overarching context. Here you can read the report itself, from 2019 https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB10014.html Then you can corroborate some thesis points from the article and check against the events that occured in the recent years, like having US coast guard or British vessels near Russia's Crimea base https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-patrol-boats-sent-beef-up-ukrainian-navy-near-black-sea-2021-11-20/ It's important to have different view angles to capture a whole picture, otherwise you will be a pawn of any propaganda.

A bit more Russia leaning article, but it does point out a few things about general years long US policy of marginalizing Russia. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/rand-report-prescribed-us-provocations-against-russia-predicted-kremlin-retaliation

Have they dropped it on another country and killed civilians with it?

Btw, RUB almost back to unchanged valuations. While Yen got pummeled. Meanwhile US goes full throttle into a recession...

Atomic bomb?

Yes, it might be a breach, but if you have broken your deals in a one sided way as well and seized property etc., do you really think they care? What and how will they execute on this breach beyond what is already in place? Ultimately it is Russia that hold the resource. Sure, they can buy Rubbles from Chinese or India, but that only strenghtens ties between those countries and China, and leads to reducing the weight of EUR and USD as reserve currencies.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/mariupol-mayor-orders-complete-evacuation-city-now-russian-hands-ukraine-says-its

And so it begins... When you have cut all the ties, aside of one sector you need, what will you do, when the other party will target that specific sector? There is near zero leverage left, when the politicians talk in absolutes and declared Putin a second coming of Hitler. There is also clear message, that economies will not be returning to pre-sanctions era and will look to slowly exit all economic relations in vital parts of the trade exchange. Why would Russia and Putin then care at all? You cant take more from them, when you've already frozen assets and withdrew all the business...

Interesting observation, but I'd say it's more of a result that Russian combat communication system basically failed on day one, this it led to use of old tech and also led to consolidation of units instead of them operating in small combat groups with infantry support. Also the corruption level that been made apparent in the state of equipment and supplies, where a few heads will roll. Russians have manpower to learn on their mistakes, and they will now most likely start operating in small groups with strong artilery and air support and some portable anti-drone eq.