How Can Russia Turn This Round?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30492518

[mushroom25]

persuade OPEC to cut production? they won't do that though because the continuing fall in oil prices will hit the US economy before it hits Saudi, etc.

[Gromit]

Get out of Ukraine to ease EU sanctions.

Bomb Saudi Arabia to stop over production of oil.

[youngmafbog]

For once it is sanctions working (albeit aided by oil price drop).

Russia has to change it's foreign policy, problem is the great Bear will probably lash out rather then mend its ways, particularly whilst Putin is around. Depsite the problems most Russians blame the rest of the world not him.

[Gromit]

Saudi are over producing oil on purpose to make the US Fracking operations uneconomic. The US no longer need Saudi oul because they have become self sufficient because of Fracking. But for the Fracking Operations to be viable, oil must be $80 a barrel. Today it is less than $60 a barrel and dropping.

They are playing a dangerous game, p*ssing off the Russians and the US at the same time.

[Gromit]

Brent crude $59 a barrel. Quadriller might has well pack up and go.

[youngmafbog]

Has to be a fine line the Saudi's have to tread. But the Russians problems are all their own doing.

If they did not have sanctions against them they would be far better placed to weather it.

[Gromit]

Good job we have the EU. A strong Europe acting as one against Russia.

We need to be careful, if Russia believes the west and the Arabs actions are a coordinated attack, then they might feel they can retaliate.

[New Judge]

"Good job we have the EU."

Yes I'll say so. Could be worse, of course, Russia could have adopted the euro.

[janbee]

They can get rid of Vlad the Impaler Putin and stop blaming the west for EVERYTHING!!

[Old_Geezer]

Quite right, because without an EU most of the countries would be supporting Russia wouldn't they.

Still if they fall far enough they could apply to join and get grants for being a poor nation paid for by the rest of us.

[youngmafbog]

//Good job we have the EU. A strong Europe//

Firstly Europe is not the only 'body' issuing sanctions and even if we were not in the EU it would not stop us joining the rest of the world. The EU actually dragged it's feet because it was so heavily in bed with the Ruskies (all reds in the bed still so no surpise there).

Secondly the ter 'Strong Europe' - certainly does not apply to the EuroZone that comment does it? That is taking yest another nose dive.

[Zeuhl]

/all reds in the bed/

YMB thinks the Russian leadership are Communists!

HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa....

oh stop it ymb, my sides are hurting!

[ichkeria]

Yes the idea that Russia is ruled by Commies is somewhat wide of the mark
Can't see Putin getting out of this one as he is trapped by an economy dependent on energy exports and a foreign policy which has put him on a collision course with the west.
His only saving grace is that his people will put up with a lot of hardship before they turn against him. Russians have a tradition of revering their leader and blaming the people underneath so the fact that he is solely responsible for this mess as yet counts for little. He is seen by most still as in credit for rescuing them from the post-Soviet chaos.
Personally I hope he dies a slow and painful political humiliation and death but even if he goes there's no guarantee Russia would change
If he goes it will be a palace coup style affair probably but I am not placing a lot of roubles on it

[Peter Pedant]

Babouschkas in the standard tsemtsvo support his efforts to restore the old stalinist empire. I am not sure if Ukraine Latvia and Estonia do.

and our home policy has lurched back to being self sufficient in energy because Putin cant play a straight bat with his own huge reserves.

He has only himself to blame for the political chaos