Russia cutting off oil?

[chef]

All former territory? I don't think so.

oh dear that'd mean I now have a Russian girl currently sat in my house rather than a lithuanian one.. never did trust them russians, might give her a call and check she hasn't swiped all the Grey Goose..

[DodgyAgent]

Well the bits they want. There's nothing we can do about it.
They must be cackling in the Kremlin when the EU talks about sanctions - we need their stuff (gas, oil) more than they need ours.
Welcome to realpolitik.

Only if they can find more markets for their oil and gas.

[AtW]

Where does it stop AtW? The Russian people want Russia to reassert itself, but just how far will they go? Invading Georgia is one thing but would not invading Ukraine lead to out and out war with the West?

It would stop when EU/USA would want to put an end to Putin's regime - this action is at least 3-4 years overdue. Now he got his people in all key places, democracy is a sham - elections were not fair at all, and the West did not made it clear that it does not recognise Medvedev.

This is the police of appeasement that was played out with Hitler - Putin and his chaps try to bite more and more testing EU/USA and they were succeeding and now they watch what EU/USA do - so far it seems paid up or coward members of EU don't want to impose sanctions.

And what annoys me is that the solutions are so easy - in USSR time members of Soviet Govt did not buy mansions in London and other places! Those rich helpers of Putin have property all over the place, bank accounts etc - why the ***k they get away with it?

[DodgyAgent]

See above. They'll keep control of the bits they want, even if not directly.

With what will they keep control of what they want?

[ace00]

Welcome to realpolitik.

They will come to an agreement with Ukraine to formalize Russian control of the Black Sea. That's the bit they want. Any move into Ukraine proper, or any other former Soviet republic in Europe will not happen. The various Stans might get a bit of a kicking later on though.

[snaw]

Well the bits they want. There's nothing we can do about it.
They must be cackling in the Kremlin when the EU talks about sanctions - we need their stuff (gas, oil) more than they need ours.
Welcome to realpolitik.

Perhaps, but it's a short phyric victory. Business investment is leaving in droves, and no one trusts the feckers any more. It's just another driver for weaning ourselves off oil dependence, and that will happen - just a matter of time.

[sasguru]

Only if they can find more markets for their oil and gas.

Asia will do. The Chinese and Indians can use all of it - and pay for it.

[DodgyAgent]

Asia will do. The Chinese and Indians can use all of it - and pay for it.

And do you think that China will expose itself to relying on russian oil in the same way that Europe has?

[Incognito]

Only if they can find more markets for their oil and gas.

I think India, China and Africa is big enough.

[sasguru]

With what will they keep control of what they want?

MAD