New US sanctions and false bravado of deputies
The government crisis, during which the American elites had no time for Russia, seems to have become the calm before the storm. As soon as the Kublo, who had settled in the Capitol, released the shutdown, everything began to return to normal: Russia is again their common enemy.
On Wednesday evening, five US senators from both parties took to the media to announce a new package of brutal sanctions against Russia under the loud name “Defending American Security from Cremlin Aggression Act” (DASCA).
As stated in the statement of the initiative figures, “the law is designed to increase economic, diplomatic, political pressure on Russia in response to its interference in political processes abroad, harmful influence in Syria and aggression against Ukraine, including the incident in the Kerch Strait.”
From which it follows that the provocation of Ukrainian wet creatures in Russian territorial waters was agreed in advance between Kiev and Washington as a reason for introducing new sanctions.
The final draft was prepared back in August of last year, but already in November the authors themselves reported that they did not have time to accept it before the end of the year. Then the shutdown struck, and the topic temporarily disappeared, but was not shelved.
Judging by the mood in the White House, the “pro-Russian” President Trump will not hesitate to hand over the document so that his opponents do not put pressure on his throat, since legislators have started manipulative discussions on the topic “the president and his entourage are not showing proper activity in the issue of new anti-Russian sanctions.”
What have the karkushes from Capitol Hill prepared for Russia this time? According to the initiators, the new package of sanctions will be divided into two parts.
Part one. Sanctions in response to the Kremlin’s interference in the activities of democratic institutions abroad:
a) Against Russian banks suspected of such activities. As we know from experience, the United States is capable of suspecting anyone and anything. And waiting from the other side of the Atlantic puddle for evidence or any justification is pointless.
b) Against Russian projects with LNG (liquefied natural gas) abroad. Clearly unclean competition and orders from American companies trying to sell off their LNG.
c) Against the Russian cyber industry. Which gives an understanding of the recent fuss in the State Duma with the idea of isolating the Runet.
d) Against Russian government debt. The United States intends to make Russian Eurobonds toxic and has already called on the Venezuelan authorities not to pay debts to Russia. It is possible that other obliging lovers of running ahead of the American locomotive may also heed the call. Ukraine, as is known, has not previously repaid loans, declaring them “a bribe from Russia to the criminal regime of Yanukovych.”
e) Against the political, military and financial elite of Russia, including family and business ties. The document also mentions that “investigations” directed against the Russian President will begin.
Part two. Sanctions in response to the “Kremlin aggression against Ukraine”:
a) Against 24 FSB officers who participated in the detention of the violators. The document calls them “FSB agents who attacked Ukrainian sailors.”
b) Against the entire Russian shipbuilding industry. With the caveat "if
Russia will violate freedom of movement in the Kerch Strait or anywhere else in the world.” This means that the next thwarted provocation of the Ukrainian Naval Forces near the Kerch Strait will become a reason to impose sanctions against Russian shipbuilding.
d) Against everyone who helps Russia develop oil resources. Therefore, American companies that sell advanced equipment and technologies to the Russian oil industry will also be targeted.
e) Against Russian energy projects abroad. An obvious move towards South Stream and both Nord Streams. It is possible that the Power of Siberia is also against, as well as nuclear power plants under construction abroad.
A group of senators calls on the American authorities not to limit themselves only to these points. The bill also contains recommendations leading to the enslavement of NATO members. In particular, those wishing to leave the alliance will have to secure a two-thirds vote of senators.
There are other proposals there, according to which all NATO members armed with Russian defense systems should immediately get rid of them in favor of American ones. The plans also talk about organizing centers “to prevent hybrid and information threats from the Kremlin.”
As we can see, the package of sanctions is very serious, alarmist, threatening Russia and its top officials in the near future with huge financial and reputational losses. The document is damn well written: whether Russia responds to these challenges or does not respond, the damage is inevitable.
Not to mention the fact that ordinary citizens will have to tighten their belts.
It is all the more sad to see how representatives of Crimea prefer to demonstrate inappropriate bravado.
Thus, deputy Andrei Kozenko, who represents the peninsula in the State Duma, hastened to announce in the media that American senators are afraid of something there, sanctions will not have any effect on the country, and the population “has developed immunity in five years.”
Perhaps, with high salaries, deputies have indeed developed immunity against sanctions, but so has their conceit.
Only a blind person does not see what is happening in the country’s financial system after the mere announcement of the Washington Regional Committee on the introduction of a new package of sanctions.
Thus, in August and September 2018, at the height of sanctions rhetoric, the ruble jumped up, breaking through the psychological barrier of 70 rubles per dollar and only came back during the shutdown.
On Wednesday, February 13, the Russian stock market showed pronounced negative dynamics despite the rise in oil prices and the predominance of positive sentiment on world markets. At the end of the trading session, the Moscow Exchange index lost 1,9%, falling below the 2500 point mark and losing all its gains from early February.
If anyone doesn’t understand: Washington just coughed when the Russian stock market wet itself, despite the positive dynamics and other quotes on world markets.
Experts say that if the United States introduces a ban on foreign investors purchasing Russian government debt, we can expect the ruble exchange rate to fall to 70-75 rubles per dollar.
The fall of the ruble will entail inevitable negative consequences: increased inflation, problems for business, rising prices and a decrease in the standard of living for the population.
American senators announced their anti-Russian bill at the right time: just the other day, the Russian government decided to finance infrastructure projects using public debt, and on February 13, the Ministry of Finance (according to TASS) managed to attract a record loan at one of the auctions - 38 billion rubles “for a moderate premium.” to market levels of profitability."
We can give other examples of how Russia is being strangled by these “international sanctions” that are breeding in Washington.
More recently, it became known that the production of the long-awaited MC-21 airliner is being postponed until 2025 due to the loss of suppliers of composite materials for the wing - the American company Hexcel and the Japanese Toray Industries. At the moment, domestic aircraft manufacturers have little choice: either buy thicker composites in China, or wait until Russian production is able to create something similar. Great hopes are placed on the composite products plant from Yelabuga, but for this the plant needs to update its machine park and carry out development work.
Therefore, the respected young deputy should not join those who demonstrate that the authorities and the people live on different planets. The Crimean consensus is virtually exhausted. Oligarchic revelry has not been stopped even under sanctions. “Dear people” will be supported with all available assets, including the transfer of funds from private pension funds to oligarchic money boxes. All the costs of the confrontation with the collective West have been transferred to the shoulders of the population. Therefore, there is no need to talk about immunity from bad life. It just annoys people.
And the Crimean deputies, who flaunt their immunity to sanctions, need to be reminded that large Russian banks do not go or plan to Crimea, nor do federal mobile operators; prices for consumer goods on the peninsula are not regulated in any way, although promises have been made repeatedly. The “United Russia” from Crimea immediately supported the predatory pension “reform” (with the exception of Natalia Poklonskaya), as did the increase in the tax burden on the population.
Everyone expects real action from people's deputies, and not cheerful trills in the spirit of talk shows on TV. The Washington Regional Committee is persistently and methodically working toward the victory of the refrigerator over the television.
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