Odds and Ends

Last week, Vladimir Putin said countries he called “unfriendly” must pay for Russian natural gas in rubles as of March 31, not dollars or euros.

The ruling effectively applies to Russian oil and other commodities.

Russia had no choice after US/Western regimes “shut down correspondent accounts for our commercial banks.”

It “made settlements in dollars and euros impossible and disconnected (targeted Russian) banks on the sanctions list from SWIFT, Russia’s Security Council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev explained.

On Monday, German Vice-Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the following:

“All G7 energy ministers agree that (the demand to pay in rubles for Russian gas) is a one-sided and obvious breach of effective contracts.” 

“Concluded contracts remain effective and companies should continue honoring their provisions. Payments in rubles are unacceptable.”

They and other “unfriendly” countries have a choice.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, they can either pay in rubles or seek non-Russian suppliers.

Russian gas and other commodities are vital for many nations.

They’ll go along with what Russia demands or get no commodities from the world’s most resource rich country, what’s indispensable.

Paul Craig Roberts stressed the following:

“Russia, erroneously believing (it) needs foreign currency reserves, has billed in foreign currencies instead of rubles.”

“This mindless policy had two great harmful effects on Russia.” 

“One is that the foreign currency reserves are easily frozen or confiscated.” 

“The other is that the policy supports the value of the US dollar and euro instead of the value of the ruble.” 

“Russia should price all of its exports to everyone in rubles.”

There’s no substitute for Russian gas, oil and other commodities.

If the Kremlin cut off supplies to unfriendly nations, they’d beg to be resupplied.

Separately on Monday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman General Igor Konashenkov updated the toll on Ukraine’s military, saying:

“A total of 308 drones, 1,713 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 170 multiple rocket launchers, 715 pieces of field artillery and mortars, as well as 1,557 pieces of special military vehicles have been destroyed since the start of the special military operation.”

On Monday, Sergey Lavrov stressed what’s been clear for time immemorial, saying:

“(T)he European Union has demonstrated its utter inability to serve as a guarantor of conflict settlement.”

The above reality applies on steroids about hegemon USA.

Also on Monday, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said evidence gathering of US bioweapons development in Ukraine will show the “whole civilized world (that the US) bec(ame) the Third Reich(’s) successor (regime) where inhuman experiments on people were practiced.”

Separately, hegemon USA and Nazi-infested Ukraine were the world’s only countries to vote against a UN General Assembly resolution on combatting the glorification of Nazism.

Patruhev stressed that Nazism in Ukraine has been “coordinat(ed) and support(ed)” by the US.

With each passing day, liberation of Donbass entirely draws closer.

The same reality applies to Kiev’s war machine.

It’s disintegrating according to Russia’s plan.

Its battered remnants alone remain to mopped up and eliminated.