MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Why Ukraine's next president doesn't matter
By James Stafford, Oilprice.com - Having ridden roughshod over Ukraine, Russia's annexation of the Crimea is now over and a new chapter in Ukrainian politics is about to begin—but it won't be much different than the last chapter, with the same old faces surfacing for May presidential elections. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesThanks to Russia so graciously removing 1.5 million ethnic Russian voters from the Ukrainian electorate, the balance has tilted AWAY from Russia.
Mar 29th, 2014 - 06:06 am - Link - Report abuse 0The silver lining seems to start at the new Crimea border.
The silver lining will start where the Russian gas ends...
Mar 29th, 2014 - 08:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0Why would Russia stop exporting gas?
Mar 29th, 2014 - 09:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0With Russia about to enter a recession, they will happily sell gas to whoever pays.
Many coutries are willing to pay for the gas, Anglolatino.
Mar 29th, 2014 - 10:17 am - Link - Report abuse 0Difference is that Russia can choose customers while Europe can't choose provider...
Really Stevie.
Mar 29th, 2014 - 10:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0How does Russia get gas to these countries?
Let me guess, by the time Russia builds this infrastructure, Ukraine will have done the same to import from elsewhere. Seems a zero sum game to walk away from a market in the hope of gaining a replacement one someday in the future.
Thankfully we don't run our energy sector like that. I suppose that is the difference between an open economy like Australia's and a kleptocracy like Russia.
But thanks to Russia's bluster, Ukraine is reducing energy subsidies to lower consumption. Russia just keeps doing Ukraine favours.
It drove it closer to the EU.
It removed 20% of the ethnic Russian electorate.
It enabled it to get an IMF bailout.
And now it is driving reduced energy imports.
Did I miss anything?
@4 Quite right, Stevie. So pleased that the UK kept its options open. Now, it can reasonably expect more than adequate supplies from Libya and Saudi Arabia, both grateful for being saved from, respectively, Hussein and Gaddafi. With the removal of greedy, skiving scotland, the UK will be able to source its energy requirements from internal “fracking” and the hydrocarbons fields around the Northern and Western Isles who will be retaining their allegiance to the democracy of the UK instead of the fascist nationalism of scotland.
Mar 29th, 2014 - 11:30 am - Link - Report abuse 0Ukraine will import gas from where, you say, Anglolatino?
Mar 29th, 2014 - 11:37 am - Link - Report abuse 0Ukraine could import biofuel from Argentina. I heard that they are desperate to sell....
Mar 29th, 2014 - 01:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Oh is Russia the only country that exports gas?
Mar 29th, 2014 - 02:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0And which country do they cross with many of their export pipelines?
Some 30% of the European gas is provided by Russia.
Mar 29th, 2014 - 02:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You think Ukraine has the weight to cut the Russian gas export to Germany?
:)
What country will export gas to Ukraine, you say?
Yes yes with Russia the only gas exporter in the world, poor Ukraine is doomed. Where will it come from. How will it get there.
Mar 30th, 2014 - 07:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0Well I guess we'll find out soon enough.
Russia will cut the gas supplier it won't. And Ukraine will find it elsewhere or it won't.
So far Russia hasn't cut it. Just as Ukraine hasn't cut water or electricity to Crimea.
The world must be a lot more complicated and intertwined.
A whole day of googling and this is what you can come up with?
Mar 30th, 2014 - 07:31 am - Link - Report abuse 0I don't see anything from you, Stevie - just a lot of empty threats and “what if's”.
Mar 30th, 2014 - 10:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0This is not good for either side, but Russia has shot themselves in the foot, for stable trade in a receding market.
Tell is about arrogance and pride, now please.
Come on Stevie. You must have a perfect socialist solution for this tricky global situation?
Mar 31st, 2014 - 12:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0I didn't google anything.
Mar 31st, 2014 - 02:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0The simply fact is that Russia can only deal in hard power and not in soft power. Any little soft power they had in Ukraine was lost when they took Crimea. So now they can only use their military or economic strength (compared to Ukraine that is).
Everything Russia demands or wants to happen in Ukraine is being ignored. So I don't doubt that Russia will ramp up the threats or actions. It is inevitable because they have run out of options.
Their propoganda is having less effect because all their reports and predictions of violence and chaos as failing to materialise. Protests by ethnic Russians demanding anything are shrinking. The last protest in Donetsk garnered only 500 people.
So yes, Russia will act. It may even cut off gas supplies. But there is nothing Ukraine can do because they will not bow to Russian demands and interference.
When austerity kicks in and subsidies are cut and corruption is tackled, there will be thousands on the streets protesting. But all that will mean is that Ukraine's policies are working and Russia's aren't.
#6
Mar 31st, 2014 - 05:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Time will tell. Maybe, just maybe, your “dream” scenario will not play out and you will have to come, cap in hand, saying “pretty please” may we have some oil... Being a magnanimous race , we will say, OK.
please pay in gold !
Are you, in effect, a Malvanista double agent?
Any reasonable person reading the racist bile in your posts must wonder if you represent the average Englishman. I don't think so BUT to casual readers it must raise questions in their minds. It has been said, with some justification that England is not the most popular country in the world. You are just fuelling this perception..
I other words, you are doing the Malvanista's work for them and scoring an own goal.
You are certainly more right wing than the National Front
Has anyone noticed that all the pictures of protesting Russians in Ukraine are always taken front on or looking up. Few look down so you can see the size of the crowds.
Apr 01st, 2014 - 03:00 am - Link - Report abuse 0I can't seem to find a pro-Russian protest larger than 3,000 in the past fortnight.
With about 7 million Russians in Ukraine, that's pretty weak and pathetic.
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