They have not been clicking on my posts since the Russian trained Ukrainian separatists graduated from thugs to terrorists using Russian supplied high altitude missiles. Perhaps they have fled so another country or this blog is being blocked by the Russian security apparatus. That would be the ultimate honor for me.
As the Economist said this week, "The West should face the uncomfortable truth that Mr. Putin's Russia is fundamentally antagonistic."
That means the shareholders of companies which have invested billions in Russia will have to suffer for their mistake believing that Russia was becoming a normal country after the collapse of communism. When 80% of Russians think the Malaysian 777 was not shot down by Russian equipment and that the Ukrainian government is somehow a fascist body politic, they are not dealing with reality nor open to amends. And Russia continues to provide active military support to the separatists who are "not Ukrainian separatists, but Russian citizens who are, or were, members of the intelligence services", by firing artillery over the border at the Ukrainian army.
The only appropriate response is to help the EU cut its consumption of Russian supplied energy by exporting gas from the wherever. And to help the Ukraine get off its Gazprom reliance. All it would take is cutting EU purchase of Russian energy by 10% to 20% to harm the Current Account and flow of funds to Gazprom and the government. The U.S. should do whatever it can to facilitate that.
And just how does Putin's 28 year old daughter who has never worked afford a $2,000,000 condo in the Netherlands?
As the Economist writes: "The doublespeak (from the Russian government) recalls the days of the Soviet Union when Pravda claimed to tell the truth. (They hope) This mendacity will end in the same way as that one did: the lies will eventually unravel, especially as it becomes obvious how much money Putin and his friends have stolen from the Russian people."
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