The Russian economy (catch all)

[Beelzebubalicious]

Wow. Just read today about how Slovakia is jumping into bed with one of the fat boys . It appears to be a fairly desperate move by the Slovakian govt to avoid getting gas from Ukraine. Ukraine really blew it recently with their recent actions and now it looks like they may pay a heavy price.

I've seen speculation that Ukraine could be next in line for a little Russian aggression. Russian interests have been buying up Crimea. If Russia actually took back Crimea, the Russian population would be supportive. they think it's theirs, anyway.

[Stan]

It appears to be a fairly desperate move by the Slovakian govt to avoid getting gas from Ukraine. Ukraine really blew it recently with their recent actions and now it looks like they may pay a heavy price.

It really will be a desperate move on Slovakia's part. If they would only read this para, the rest will no longer be a mystery.

If Fico imagines that his country's interests are best served by Gazprom, then he would have to believe that Slovaks could actually control Gazprom in a common enterprise.

I've seen speculation that Ukraine could be next in line for a little Russian aggression. Russian interests have been buying up Crimea. If Russia actually took back Crimea, the Russian population would be supportive. they think it's theirs, anyway.

With Georgia slightly at bay and licking wounds, and, the USG offering anyone a million cool for MANPADS (The Ukraine has literally tons of those), someone was bound to go and start slappin those pesky former Russian States.

Eric, does The Ukraine still produce military arms and supplies and compete with the Russian industry? Jeez, hope they don't need gas to produce that Sierra !

[kaur]

The 460 single company towns in the Russian Federation have been hit particularly hard by the economic crisis. Many of the 25 million people who live in them are now unemployed and angry. And they are now organizing protests and beginning to link up with others in a similar fix, according to a leading Moscow business weekly.

http://windowoneurasia.blogspot.com/...d-company.html

[Beelzebubalicious]

I don't know to what extent Ukraine competes with Russia on military arms and supplies that they produce in Ukraine. They do compete in the global arms market and as you know, it's big business.

How many MANPADS does a million $ buy?

As for the economic desperation in Russia, it is also happening in Ukraine. Ukrainians are slow to protest, unless paid and organized to do so, but there are plenty in Ukraine who would benefit from this discontent. In Russia, it seems less straightforward as the opposition doesn't seem to have much room to maneuver.

[Stan]

I don't know to what extent Ukraine competes with Russia on military arms and supplies that they produce in Ukraine. They do compete in the global arms market and as you know, it's big business.

How many MANPADS does a million $ buy?

We used to think that The Ukraine was inept at adopting an armament program (something most would develop and be prepared to fight) as early as 95. Turns out, they were more interested in business and copying Russian Sierra to sell elsewhere I recall more than 30% GNP was dedicated to defense, but for the purposes of selling, not remotely interested in defending the Mother Land !

There are literally hundreds of sites regarding this, although none go right out with a price per "article". The going price (backwards that is) is a cool M for at least three each. The offer BTW still stands I am told.

Some links to ponder (light reading if you will )
MANPADS duties
Do a little digging - you'll get there

Support Anti-Terrorism
This one leads to just about anywhere

Ukrainians are slow to protest, unless paid and organized to do so, but there are plenty in Ukraine who would benefit from this discontent. In Russia, it seems less straightforward as the opposition doesn't seem to have much room to maneuver.

It took place here, but not to the extent most feared. Glad to say that era for Estonia is dead and gone. Take no Sierra (God forbid I ever make it to Parliamentary status)

[Beelzebubalicious]

By the way, Stan, some of the things on this list might be applicable to you. I was only 2 years in Ukraine, but a lot of them applied to me....

[Surferbeetle]

From the Moscow Times: Millionaire's Crisis Plan: Return to Bartering

While the global economic crisis didn't sweep into Russia until September, Sterligov said he sensed that trouble was looming in August and got to work.

"I decided that barter trade would be the right choice for the world in times of liquidity problems and payment delays," he said in a recent interview.

So from August to November, computer programmers hired by Sterligov created an interactive database allowing the barter of debt and goods worldwide.

Sterligov illustrated a possible barter deal with a real-life example: Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works' estimated debt of 1 billion rubles ($30.4 million) to Mechel for coal supplies.

"Mechel could put information about MMK's nonpayment in our system and then add which products it needs itself," Sterligov said.

MMK, in turn, would put 1 billion rubles of steel into the system, he said. At some point, a company would surface that wanted steel and had a product needed by Mechel, and the deal would be completed.

"For this to work, you have to have thousands of bids in the system," Sterligov said, adding that debt would probably become the most popular item for barter.

Mechel and MMK declined to comment about their possible participation in such a system.

Barter trade was widespread in Russia in the 1990s, when economic turmoil following the Soviet collapse prompted companies to pay employees and creditors with the products they produced — anything from bricks to vegetable oil.

From the NY Times: Have Car, Need Briefs? In Russia, Barter Is Back

All this evokes a bit of déjà vu. In the mid-1990s, barter transactions in Russia accounted for an astonishing 50 percent of sales for midsize enterprises and 75 percent for large ones.

The practice kept businesses afloat for years but also allowed them to defer some fundamental changes needed to make them more competitive, like layoffs and price reductions. It also hurt tax revenues.

The comeback is on a small scale so far. The most recent statistics available, from November, showed that barter deals made up about 3 to 4 percent of total sales, according to the Russian Economic Barometer, an independent bulletin. Nevertheless, economists are taking note.

From BBC German Sterligov: The oligarch who gave it all up

A man who became Russia's second official millionaire following the collapse of communism has abandoned his wealth to live as a peasant in a remote part of the country.

[baranov107]

We used to think that The Ukraine was inept at adopting an armament program (something most would develop and be prepared to fight) as early as 95. Turns out, they were more interested in business and copying Russian Sierra to sell elsewhere I recall more than 30% GNP was dedicated to defense, but for the purposes of selling, not remotely interested in defending the Mother Land !

There are literally hundreds of sites regarding this, although none go right out with a price per "article". The going price (backwards that is) is a cool M for at least three each. The offer BTW still stands I am told.

Some links to ponder (light reading if you will )
MANPADS duties
Do a little digging - you'll get there

Support Anti-Terrorism
This one leads to just about anywhere



It took place here, but not to the extent most feared. Glad to say that era for Estonia is dead and gone. Take no Sierra (God forbid I ever make it to Parliamentary status)

Did you help Ukraine to protect its territory? I want to live in free country without Russian empire. There is only one way - Putin must go.

[Firn]

Russia reduces gas exports to Poland

Russia's gas supplies to Poland have dropped by 45%, Poland's state gas firm PGNiG says, amid tensions over Ukraine.

The news came just hours after Poland stopped providing gas to Ukraine through "reverse-flow" pipelines.

The Russian gas volumes were 24% lower on Tuesday and 20% lower on Monday, according to PGNiG. That shortfall prompted Poland to halt reverse-flow.

Poland and Ukraine rely heavily on Russian natural gas. Russia is in a pricing dispute over gas with Ukraine.

Some analysts believe Russia, which stopped gas supplies to Ukraine in June over the pricing dispute, is punishing Poland for sending gas to Ukraine.

It looks like a test, which obvioulsy gets denied to see the initial Polish, Ukrainian and European reaction. One has to keep in mind that the SU was a reliable supplier, especially in the later stages when it needed all the hard currency it could get. The Kremlin seems to increase it's stakes in the play about Russia's future.