He will try to hold his breath while he tells the military to intensify their assaults. This guy, like Trump, don't know how to lose gracefully. The whole war is based on the theory that Ukraine does not exist as a separate state. If Russia can't achieve the goals it has publicly set itself, it means losing to a non-entity in their eyes. It would legitimize Ukraine, which means sanctions, arrest warrants, prosecutions and enormous compensation demands that could make it very difficult for state owned businesses to retrieve full compensation for the goods they sell abroad.
“The czar is good, the ministers are bad” is the perpetual gambit of Russian policy. So, when push comes to shove, the czar fires -sometimes literally- some minister or other.
I’m shocked the oligarchs haven’t revolted yet with members of the security services and military; they seem to be getting poorer and weaker by the day!
Trump's secondary sanctions reduced Russia's oil revenue for a month or two at the beginning of 2026, but then his war on Iran has more than turned this around. The sharp increase in the price of oil coupled with its limited availability has given Russia a boost of ~ $150 million per day (~$4.5 billion a month).
Bloomberg has reported that: "Russia resumed purchases of foreign currency and gold for its National Wellbeing Fund for the first time since June last year, as a surge in oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East boosts export revenue. In May, the Finance Ministry will buy foreign currency and gold worth 110 billion rubles ($1.5 billion), the ministry in Moscow said Wednesday. The figure includes deferred operations from March and April, it said. The move highlights the potential windfall for President Vladimir Putin from the conflict ignited by the US and Israel attacking Iran. It gives Moscow a chance to top up state coffers after spending more than half of its rainy-day reserves financing the invasion of Ukraine."
Qui c'è la riunione dei russofobi, dov'eravate quando il Donbass è stato attaccato per 8 anni dai nazi terroristi ucraini, quando avevano minacciato pure i bambini filorussi, uccidendo in pochi giorni oltre 100 bambini di Mariupol? Dov'eravate quando le merde ucraine ed europee hanno firmato un trattato di pace per ingannare Putin in modo da preparare l'Ucraina alla guerra (Merkel e Hollande docet) costruendo fortezze nel Donbass per rallentare, dopo la provocazione a Putin, l'esercito russo? Dov'eravate quando Victoria Nuland disse "fuck Europe" perché gli USA, come da intercettazioni, avevano finanziato il colpo di stato di Euromaidan con 5 miliardi di dollari? Eravate a farvi le seghe... mentali, vero caproni? La Russia raggiungerà tutti i suoi obbiettivi e vincerà giustamente quella guerra voluta dai terroristi americani ed europei, e l'Europa del nord dovrà stare molto attenta a non beccarsi qualche atomica, perché gli ucraini sono fratelli dei russi e non useranno armi nucleari in Ucraina, ma gli europei, specie paesi nazisti come la Germania ed i paesi baltici, non sono certo fratelli dei russi.
The surfacing of unusual economic criticism is significant precisely because it is unusual. In systems where public dissent is structurally costly, the appearance of criticism signals either that the cost has been lowered — or that someone with sufficient protection has decided to absorb it. Neither interpretation is reassuring for stability. The question isn't what is being said. It's who is being allowed to say it.
So, Russia is going towards a military dictatorship, like Germany in First World War, with the civilians being sidetracked? These Telegram and VPN blockades seem to be of military origin, because this kind of disruption could mean major unrest.
Of course, Hindenburg and Luttendorf had huge military success before such a step (against the Russian empire, ironically).
The "good Czar, bad boyars" gambit won't work so well this time, I guess
Putin can change the government but that will not fix the economy. Still can't see how putin will get away
He will try to hold his breath while he tells the military to intensify their assaults. This guy, like Trump, don't know how to lose gracefully. The whole war is based on the theory that Ukraine does not exist as a separate state. If Russia can't achieve the goals it has publicly set itself, it means losing to a non-entity in their eyes. It would legitimize Ukraine, which means sanctions, arrest warrants, prosecutions and enormous compensation demands that could make it very difficult for state owned businesses to retrieve full compensation for the goods they sell abroad.
“The czar is good, the ministers are bad” is the perpetual gambit of Russian policy. So, when push comes to shove, the czar fires -sometimes literally- some minister or other.
So glad to see you on substack. Subscribed.
I’m shocked the oligarchs haven’t revolted yet with members of the security services and military; they seem to be getting poorer and weaker by the day!
Trump's secondary sanctions reduced Russia's oil revenue for a month or two at the beginning of 2026, but then his war on Iran has more than turned this around. The sharp increase in the price of oil coupled with its limited availability has given Russia a boost of ~ $150 million per day (~$4.5 billion a month).
https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/iran-war-oil-prices-russia-150-million-daily-revenue-boost-126031300518_1.html
Bloomberg has reported that: "Russia resumed purchases of foreign currency and gold for its National Wellbeing Fund for the first time since June last year, as a surge in oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East boosts export revenue. In May, the Finance Ministry will buy foreign currency and gold worth 110 billion rubles ($1.5 billion), the ministry in Moscow said Wednesday. The figure includes deferred operations from March and April, it said. The move highlights the potential windfall for President Vladimir Putin from the conflict ignited by the US and Israel attacking Iran. It gives Moscow a chance to top up state coffers after spending more than half of its rainy-day reserves financing the invasion of Ukraine."
https://archive.ph/u9KjB
Qui c'è la riunione dei russofobi, dov'eravate quando il Donbass è stato attaccato per 8 anni dai nazi terroristi ucraini, quando avevano minacciato pure i bambini filorussi, uccidendo in pochi giorni oltre 100 bambini di Mariupol? Dov'eravate quando le merde ucraine ed europee hanno firmato un trattato di pace per ingannare Putin in modo da preparare l'Ucraina alla guerra (Merkel e Hollande docet) costruendo fortezze nel Donbass per rallentare, dopo la provocazione a Putin, l'esercito russo? Dov'eravate quando Victoria Nuland disse "fuck Europe" perché gli USA, come da intercettazioni, avevano finanziato il colpo di stato di Euromaidan con 5 miliardi di dollari? Eravate a farvi le seghe... mentali, vero caproni? La Russia raggiungerà tutti i suoi obbiettivi e vincerà giustamente quella guerra voluta dai terroristi americani ed europei, e l'Europa del nord dovrà stare molto attenta a non beccarsi qualche atomica, perché gli ucraini sono fratelli dei russi e non useranno armi nucleari in Ucraina, ma gli europei, specie paesi nazisti come la Germania ed i paesi baltici, non sono certo fratelli dei russi.
The surfacing of unusual economic criticism is significant precisely because it is unusual. In systems where public dissent is structurally costly, the appearance of criticism signals either that the cost has been lowered — or that someone with sufficient protection has decided to absorb it. Neither interpretation is reassuring for stability. The question isn't what is being said. It's who is being allowed to say it.
So, Russia is going towards a military dictatorship, like Germany in First World War, with the civilians being sidetracked? These Telegram and VPN blockades seem to be of military origin, because this kind of disruption could mean major unrest.
Of course, Hindenburg and Luttendorf had huge military success before such a step (against the Russian empire, ironically).
The "good Czar, bad boyars" gambit won't work so well this time, I guess