Hit them hard with everything you have…..but not like that.
Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine the US and the NATO nations have imposed heavy sanctions (something I serious doubt) on the invader….financial sanctions mostly economic sanctions all in an attempt to weaken the Russian economy and its war machine….and this included sanctions on their oil industry where they derive a lot of their working capital.
If the West can cripple the oil industry then they, Russia, would most likely try to find a way to end this conflict, right?
So hit them hard and often…..but not like that.
If so then the latest move by the US is a bit confusing….
US officials are losing patience as Kiev fails to heed American demands to stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure. The White House fears the attacks will lead to an increase in oil prices and trigger reprisals by Moscow.
According to the Financial Times, “The White House had grown increasingly frustrated by brazen Ukrainian drone attacks that have struck oil refineries, terminals, depots, and storage facilities across western Russia, hurting its oil production capacity,” adding that US officials are concerned with “driving up global oil prices and provoking retaliation.”
The demands to halt attacks on Russian oil facilities may appear confounding to Kiev after NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg green-lit Ukrainian attacks inside Russia last month. Additionally, President Joe Biden has vowed to cripple the Russian economy, and the West has used sanctions and price caps in an effort to curb Moscow’s energy exports.
The White House may see increasing gas prices at home as a primary concern with the 2024 election on the horizon. Bob McNally, a former White House energy adviser, said, “Nothing terrifies a sitting American president more than a surge in pump prices during an election year,” as cited by FT.
As Ukrainian losses on the battlefield have continued in recent weeks, Kiev has conducted more attacks on Russian soil. This has led the Kremlin to evacuate thousands of children from a border region. Ukrainian forces also successfully attacked seven energy targets in Russia last week.
Washington’s fear that attacks on Moscow’s energy infrastructure will prompt retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian energy seems to have materialized. On Friday, the BBC reported, “A million people are without power across Ukraine after Russian missiles targeted energy infrastructure,” with Kiev’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko saying Moscow aimed to cause “a large-scale failure of the country’s energy system.”
(antiwar.com)
Is it win at all costs or is it just a geopolitical game of Risk?
Biden is really good, like most politicians, of speaking out of both sides of his mouth.
And the game goes on….
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
I thought part of modern war strategy was to destroy the other side’s industrial and economic abilities. So US says for Ukraine don’t attack Russian oil stuff as may cause elevation in oil prices. So US involvement in these wars is not to protect our county, freedom and way of life. It’s all for oil. Our soldiers die and become disabled for oil which has been suggested repeatedly since end of WW II. Makes me wonder if US policies are more harmful to our troops than the enemy. I’m not optimistic with a “defeat Russia ” policy but a “defeat Putin” approach may be better. He thinks power increases by geographic acquisitions when Russia could really prosper by joining the world’s family of nations with civilized cooporation. I think the Russian people fully understand that but are crushed by Putin’s boot making change impossible.
Nope it is to protect big business….always has been that way. chuq
As far as UK sanctions go, it’s a complete farce. The Prime Minister’s wife and his father in law own Infosys, which is happily doing millions of dollars of business with Russia before and since the invasion of Ukraine.
Best wishes, Pete.
What about Ukraine being told to stay away from the oil industry? chuq
Double standards there, because we want to further exploit (well the government does) our own oil reserves. More licences are being granted in the North Sea, and other places around the UK. They are using the ‘Russian excuse’ to circumvent the ecological objections.
The old “national security” ply…..works every time and is usually a lie every time. chuq
They are selling drilling licences to their industrialist friends in return for campaign donations and well-paid jobs on boards of directors.
Same sort of corruption here….chuq