23 Comments

Business is Business, war is war. If Israel keeps up their war on their neighbours, they won't have a functioning economy for much longer and Russia will have to look for a new market.

The Guardian is great at highlighting the little known facts of international business which it chooses to focus on to suit its narrative yet as a typical MI6/I5 mouthpiece, it draws the line when it comes to reporting on his majesty's complex international trade shenanigans.

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(1) If so, then Americans can continue to sell weapons to Israel for free or below cost? I see Russia should stand neutral in Caspian Sea shipping and pipelining of Kazakhstan products, at least in exchange for its own NSTC usage of the Caspian Sea. (2) Russia's concern for Israel interference in Ukraine is understandable, but perhaps a bit over-estimating Israel's ability to interfere. The larger risk is dual citizens inside Russia. These people, over-time, could develop something like AIPAC to influence Russian domestic politics, if not yet so. After all, Russia does have a central bank. (3) I think Russia needs to provide more air defense weapons to the ME, starting from Iran. But perhaps to include Saudis Arabia and Iraq in the future -- in exchange of gold or oil, such commodities can be resold easily. (4) In the short term, At least Russia should refrain from exporting products ready to use, such as diesel, gasoline, or jet fuel to Israel. Raw materials for Israel to refine domestically is fine. (5) De-dollarization would never work without KSA participating to a significant extent. While KSA is not pro-Russia, KSA is certainly not pro-Israel.

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"While KSA is not pro-Russia, KSA is certainly not pro-Israel."

You are kidding, right? The KSA is a de facto Israeli ally, even if they cannot say so openly in public.

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KSA was flush with money, perhaps to the point they don't know how to spend it. The corruption of the Royal Clan and the government means monetary matters and financial gains dominated their concerns. If so, a smoother relationship with Israel is better. But deep under, people of KSA do not think quite like the royal family. Domestic tension has been drifting higher and higher with increasing portion of the population belonging to the poorer Shiite minority (perhaps soon to become the majority) and KSA no longer has that kind of money to buy domestic calm. Crown Prince MBS has to walk a fairly careful path. Therefore, I think KSA will remain USA friendly on the surface. But for anything with real national interests, KSA will avoid the appearance of pro-USA.

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Nobody cares what the people of the KSA think or want.

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For a second there I thought you wrote USA.

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For that matter, the same applies to the USA.

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My bad, I should have used a cat emoji, the one for satire. JPN, AUZ, etc could as well, but they'd require a bit more dyslexia as an excuse.

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"If so, then Americans can continue to sell weapons to Israel"... (?)

- No... That is absolutely no excuse... That means both US and Russia (if so) commit crimes against Palestinians, crimes against humanity.

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Seems neither of them care.

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"Unfortunately" it seems like that, though both have the interest in the Middle East... On the other hand, who is gonna fight against psycho pathological "west" - Russia itself ?

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As nation states Israel and Ukraine are both on their way off the map. Russia will still have Kazakhstan as a neighbour. Long standing business contracts can work proactively as a form of diplomacy that can motivate peaceful common interest cooperation stabilizing a neighbourhood’s chance at longevity— despite inevitable inter-household parental grudges egging on juvenile delinquent west side story rumbles in the streets.

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Hmmm. Russia is still fulfilling all it's contracts, it's standard practice even vis gas and urea pipelines in Ukraine, until and unless force majeure conditions such as NordStream pipeline sabotage occur. No surprise there, but it would be interesting to know if new contracts have been signed, and if so at what terms. After all Russia is still selling oil to the Great Satan.

Similarly, I'd have been surprised if Russia or China undermined the UN by setting up an embassy in Yemen with Ansar Allah, but Russia will still find a way to impact facts on the ground, Bibi's favorite term. https://tass.com/politics/1854853?ysclid=m251gk8jex278755126

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Do you trust The Guardian ? I'm not saying this is not truth, it's very possible knowing that business always follows his own rules. Wonder what would the high ranking Russian officials say... This Middle East Eye report though, doesn't mention Russia...

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/countries-shipping-fuel-israel-could-be-complicit-war-crimes-experts-say

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Well. Israel is there to divide the Arab people. I guess, Russia isn't any more interested in a united umma than is the US.

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Thanks. That's clear enough. Russia is dependent on its oil & gas sales. It is this very dependence that U$a thought to disable & thus destabilize Russia. It didn't work at least partly due to the widespread ability to deliver these products & the endless demand for them.

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Jewish's Secular Ruling Families are what they are for some reason!

https://voza0db.substack.com/p/morons-just-dont-get-it-3a5

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Yet Israel sells equipment to Ukraine. Is this money, or trade agreement the thing that will eventually stop the war in the Middle East?

One can only guess

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