It’s thirteen days since Putin invaded Ukraine, meeting a level of resistance that’s shocked the world while isolating Russia and its people from much of the global economy.
The consequences — and battles — are continuing to play out. President Biden announced on Tuesday that the U.S. will ban imports of Russian oil and liquefied natural gas; the EU floated a plan to reduce its reliance on Russian gas.
It’s a strike at the hydrocarbon core of Russia’s economy, but one that is limited by its nature. The Europeans remain reliant on Russian oil and gas for energy, and Russia on them for foreign currency.
In Ukraine, Russian forces appear to have slowed their advance while keeping it steady. A large column of armored vehicles remains stalled outside Kyiv, as Ukrainian defenders fight vicious battles in the capital’s suburbs. Russian troops have repeatedly opened fire on residential areas and on evacuating civilians, creating a humanitarian catastrophe that’s led to as many as two million Ukrainians to flee.
Through all of this, the fog of war makes it very difficult to discern the real course of the war. Russian officials have given piecemeal accounts of the country’s war dead; a New York Times report from Monday suggested that one Ukrainian unit in the south had kept on fighting even after being decimated by Russian air strikes.
It’s thirteen days since Putin invaded Ukraine, meeting a level of resistance that’s shocked the world while isolating Russia and its people from much of the global economy.
The consequences — and battles — are continuing to play out. President Biden announced on Tuesday that the U.S. will ban imports of Russian oil and liquefied natural gas; the EU floated a plan to reduce its reliance on Russian gas.
It’s a strike at the hydrocarbon core of Russia’s economy, but one that is limited by its nature. The Europeans remain reliant on Russian oil and gas for energy, and Russia on them for foreign currency.
In Ukraine, Russian forces appear to have slowed their advance while keeping it steady. A large column of armored vehicles remains stalled outside Kyiv, as Ukrainian defenders fight vicious battles in the capital’s suburbs. Russian troops have repeatedly opened fire on residential areas and on evacuating civilians, creating a humanitarian catastrophe that’s led to as many as two million Ukrainians to flee.
Through all of this, the fog of war makes it very difficult to discern the real course of the war. Russian officials have given piecemeal accounts of the country’s war dead; a New York Times report from Monday suggested that one Ukrainian unit in the south had kept on fighting even after being decimated by Russian air strikes.
Good. Now it’s on us to reduce our energy consumption to help keep prices down for those who can’t.
It won’t matter how much energy consumption is reduced because the impact won’t be immediate (as in, prices at the pump dropping between today and tomorrow at a rate of 25%). The average Joe will still blame Biden, despite all facts to the contrary.
But yes, this needs to be done and the US is just a little late to this decision, but better late than never.
Posted in the Ford !50 forum…
“I am in the same boat, I can’t afford gas for my truck so instead of going out I spend more time on this forum and talk about our nice new trucks that we are not driving.”
Putin’s objective, at least what it was said to be by those in the know, was a quick overrun of Ukraine and the placement of a RU friendly government there. One that would ensure UA never joined NATO or the EU. That doesn’t seem likely now. Instead he’s left with crushing UA in a brutal artillery / air war and then occupying it. Something most experts say he cannot do.
As Senator King said today “Ukraine will hate Russia for generations” and that bodes poorly for an occupation. Couple that with the VERY EFFECTIVE sanctions and it’s Vlad not UA that looks more fucked.
Putin’s mistake is common, not long ago a certain W invaded a Middle East country, it was supposed to be a quick victory followed by installing a US friendly government. We all know how that ended.