Yes I have been out of the US I spent two years on and off in China, the UK and a small stint in Vietnam in the early 2000's. Had a chance to go work in Dubai and Qatar after that but I turned it down.
I just showed you what's really going on in Russia right now. Do you think those people give a fuck what the ruble is worth?
Tell ya what, why don't you pack it up and head for Moscow if you think it's so fucking great and then report back to us after you get settled.
They're not bending to pooty's will, they're caving in to their oil profit interests and claiming they're trying to protect citizens. That's a joke. The article goes on to state that what these countries are doing is possibly illegal and in a short time all of EU will know that skirting the sanctions may not be a smart thing to do. The only instructions given by the EU is purposely vague to give some weasel room to the oil companies not wanting to take temp losses in profit. Just always cherry picking headlines?
Greece is doing it full time in broad daylight. Greece government is a right wing/communist type.
Two sources told Reuters that German gas importers have been told by Berlin they can open ruble accounts to pay for Russian gas without violating sanctions, as long as the payments they make to Gazprombank are not in the Russian currency.
The sources said Germany, which is the biggest importer of Russian gas in the region, had consistently acted on the issue in close coordination with the EU.
The Italian government also spoke to the European Commission and received clarity on how to buy Russian gas legally, a senior government source told Reuters.
That happened before Italian energy company Eni said on Tuesday it had begun proceedings to open two accounts, one in euros and one in rubles, the source said.
“The decision is in line with what was communicated by the department,” the source said, referring to the European Commission’s energy department.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said last week that it was a “grey zone” whether complying with Russia’s payment scheme would breach sanctions, with no official ruling on the matter.
Draghi’s office declined to comment on Friday.
In its written guidance, the EU said companies can buy Russian gas without breaching sanctions if they pay in the currency of their existing contracts – and declare that doing so fulfils their contractual obligations. EU clarifies how companies can legally pay for Russian gas, ENI and RWE open bank accounts
The European Commission has confirmed how European Union companies can pay for Russian gas without breaching the bloc’s sanctions against Russia, in updated guidance on the issue seen by Reuters.
Most contracts EU firms have with Gazprom are in euros or dollars.
The guidance did not explicitly say, however, that opening ruble accounts for those payments to be converted into the Russian currency would be a breach of EU sanctions.
Katja Yafimava, senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, said there was no legal basis to suggest that opening a ruble account violated sanctions.
“There is nothing in the written guidance that prevents buyers from opening such accounts. While the European Commission verbal statements have created ambiguity, it is the written guidance that matters,” she said.
National governments are responsible for enforcing EU sanctions, which were approved by all 27 member states.
Brussels could launch legal action against governments that fail to enforce them but member states disagree on gas payments.
Poland has demanded clearer advice from Brussels on whether companies can open ruble account.
A spokesperson for the Dutch economic affairs ministry said the country was lobbying for a clear EU stand, to “draw one line for the whole EU”.
Joe is making Pootie richer and richer by the day with his global warming canceling of our own energy policy bullshit that lurch ketchup guy is parading around the fucking world crying about
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