Russia?

David Octavius · 02-12-2007, 05:05 PM

Politics is a strange animal - Russia is known to supply weapons to Iran and wants to do the same to Hamas, it also supports N. Korea. If this was any other country we would add them to the infamous axis of evil in a heart beat, I mean they are doing the things that our President put the world on notice for - aiding the enemy and giving them comfort.

However this is Russia so we don't treat them like we would other nations - for that matter we don't treat a N. Korea as we would an Iraq and for good reason, we are not that powerful that we can attack all enemies on multiple fronts. With such nuance and diplomacy that is obviously required having a cowboy for a President just doesn't seem like the right fit to lead us through this period - if we make a mistake and get bogged down in an extended conflict (especially if its not strategically important), it helps our enemies gain strength as we have less leverage to stop them. Unless of course you think we should take the same line with Russia as we do with Iraq. How do we deal with the Russian problem?

ballz2wallz · 02-12-2007, 05:15 PM

As far as I'm concerned, Russia has been a threat for a long time. It's been quietly growing back into the USSR it once was. I'm glad Putin is stepping down, but who knows who will take his place. I'm not quite sure how to handle the Russian issue, even if we didn't have any other conflict we were bogged down in.

JSmythe · 02-12-2007, 05:15 PM

Russia supplies most of Europe with oil. Therefore, they are untouchable.

Diamond Cross · 02-12-2007, 05:24 PM

Actually that should be a great weakness, since those oil lines can be easily disrupted.

HNowever, Russia is being treated like China, b ut I don't believe that we don't have the resources to fight on a multiple front. If it came down to it, we may be damaged but we'd come out on top.

northhunter · 02-12-2007, 05:37 PM

Russia also depends on us (the United States) to supply them with shipload after shipload of wheat, corn and other things that go through my hometown on their way to Russia. The same with the port of New Orleans and others in our country. If the United States were to use that food as leverage perhaps they would come around?

JSmythe · 02-12-2007, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Diamond Cross

Actually that should be a great weakness, since those oil lines can be easily disrupted.

HNowever, Russia is being treated like China, b ut I don't believe that we don't have the resources to fight on a multiple front. If it came down to it, we may be damaged but we'd come out on top.

To think Russia's oil is a weakness is a mistake. They have already used it as political clout several times, and they continue to consolidate their oil resources into the state run corporation Gazprom. They just ousted Shell from a HUGE oil drill project in Siberia... or off the eastern coast of Russia, I forget.

Diamond Cross · 02-12-2007, 05:38 PM

No. Sanctions never work.

JSmythe · 02-12-2007, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by northhunter

Russia also depends on us (the United States) to supply them with shipload after shipload of wheat, corn and other things that go through my hometown on their way to Russia. The same with the port of New Orleans and others in our country. If the United States were to use that food as leverage perhaps they would come around?

Since when has Russia cared about its populace starving?

northhunter · 02-12-2007, 07:16 PM

True, Putin would let his people starve.

Ardentfrost · 02-12-2007, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by JSmythe

Since when has Russia cared about its populace starving?

1993ish?

RX Bandit · 02-16-2007, 02:39 AM

Russia has been extremely cavalier under Putin, it is true. Russian forces and incendiary military hardware guard Iranian "industry"/nuclear program installations.

Oil and natural gas is all the leverage they need though. And the massive urban growth Moscow has been experiencing recently is just one indicator of the prestige of Russia under Putin, the cavalier quality that allowed Putin to insult Bush to his face last summer and make snide comments to the media that were obviously attacks on Bush (I was living in the UK at the time so those comments last summer really stuck out in my mind the most even though they are less than timely).

Russia is better served in its own interests to be with the US, no matter shape or rhetoric it might involve in their land, than to be opposed to us. As mentioned they are heavily dependent on the US for certain essentials. China is surprisingly the moderating force on Russia, not the other way around, from everything I have read but China and Russia are not my strategic field of interest/research.

One thing worth noting however is Russia's involvement in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with China and observer status Iran.

DosEquis · 02-19-2007, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by JSmythe

Russia supplies most of Europe with oil. Therefore, they are untouchable.

Russia needs the money from oil and gas sales as much as europe needs the oil and gas. With out the money they fall back down.

Pro Street · 02-19-2007, 02:45 PM

Russia has been hurting badly since the coup. They are doing whatever they can to stay alive, even if that means doing less-than-honorable things.

JSmythe · 02-19-2007, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by DosEquis

Russia needs the money from oil and gas sales as much as europe needs the oil and gas. With out the money they fall back down.

Europe NEEDS gas and oil, it is necessary for their economies to function. So there is a very low chance of them stopping the purchasing of oil and gas from Russia