How dangerous is Vladimir Putin?

**TuskegeeBen** · 13-12-2018, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Klondyke

^Perhaps you should know that the Crimea - beside the historical facts connecting it to Russia - had been and still is - an autonomous republic. If you know what "autonomous" means.

BTW, to get a "full control" of a country it can be achieved by an invasion with thousands of deaths - as we know so many cases from the present times - and/or by other peaceful means... What style do you prefer?

**TuskegeeBen** · 13-12-2018, 02:39 PM

[QUOTE=harrybarracuda;3871104]Lovely shot of the former Stasi enforcer.
How dangerous is Vladimir Putin?-vladimir-pootin-gif

Absolutely,..the ^ man is dangerous,..but only to people who have not the wisdom of minding their own business.

**OhOh** · 13-12-2018, 09:24 PM

Loved by his citizens and many others around the world.

**Klondyke** · 13-12-2018, 10:01 PM

^It's interesting to see in the various forums that there are much more (Western) people who are expressing their consent and praise of Putin's actions/dealing than a number of people cursing Trump and his Melody Boys...

**harrybarracuda** · 13-12-2018, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by OhOh

Loved by his citizens

Arf.

**TuskegeeBen** · 14-12-2018, 12:36 AM

Originally Posted by Klondyke

^It's interesting to see in the various forums that there are much more (Western) people who are expressing their consent and praise of Putin's actions/dealing than a number of people cursing

Trump and his Melody Boys...

I, for one, neither consent to, nor praise Putin's actions/dealings, in any way, shape or form.

However, I do have an abiding respect for the man,...due to his (no-nonsense) Presidential demeanour,...

together with his quiet, intelligent manner of representing the Russian people,...before the global community.

**OhOh** · 14-12-2018, 12:49 AM

^My contact with Russian citizens is obviously limited. Speaking less Russian that Thai.

All I can report is what little I have had with Russians, in Thailand, have reinforced my understanding that they are behind him 100%.

**harrybarracuda** · 14-12-2018, 01:09 AM

Originally Posted by OhOh

^My contact with Russian citizens is obviously limited. Speaking less Russian that Thai.

All I can report is what little I have had with Russians, in Thailand, have reinforced my understanding that they are behind him 100%.

They're the ones looking to launder money through condos you fool.

**Agent_Smith** · 14-12-2018, 02:07 AM

Harry, Ant, Stroller, and a few others are a goldmine of clever comebacks and funny insults.

This thread is absolutely bonkers. Between the "Putin is a Just God" bunch and the more rational realpolitik posters, it's entertainment at a fine level.

**TuskegeeBen** · 14-12-2018, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Agent_Smith

Harry, Ant, Stroller, and a few others are a goldmine of clever comebacks and funny insults.

This thread is absolutely bonkers. Between the "Putin is a Just God" bunch and the more rational realpolitik posters, it's entertainment at a fine level.

Indeed,...A spot on observation

**Klondyke** · 11-01-2019, 02:12 PM

Russia shifts $100bn of its reserves into yuan, yen & euro in a great dollar dump
10 Jan, 2019

The Central Bank of Russia has moved further away from reliance on the US dollar and has axed its share in the country’s foreign reserves to a historic low, transferring about $100 billion into euro, Japanese yen and Chinese yuan.

The share of the US currency in Russia’s international reserves portfolio has dramatically decreased in just three months between March and June 2018, from 43.7 percent to a new low of 21.9 percent, according to the Central Bank’s latest quarterly report, which is issued with a six-month lag.

The money pulled from the dollar reserves was redistributed to increase the share of the euro to 32 percent and the share of Chinese yuan to 14.7 percent. Another 14.7 percent of the portfolio was invested in other currencies, including the British pound (6.3 percent), Japanese yen (4.5 percent), as well as Canadian (2.3 percent) and Australian (1 percent) dollars.

The Central Bank's total assets in foreign currencies and gold increased by $40.4 billion from July 2017 to June 2018, reaching $458.1 billion.

Russia began its unprecedented dumping of US Treasury bonds in April and May of last year, amid a rise in tensions between the United States and Russia. The massive $81 billion spring sell-off coincided with the US’s sanctioning of Russian businessmen, companies and government officials.

The Kremlin has openly stated that American sanctions and pressure are forcing Russia to find alternative settlement currencies to the US dollar to ensure the security of the country’s economy. Other countries, such as China and Iran, are also pursuing steps to challenge the greenback’s dominance in global trade.

https://www.rt.com/business/448441-r...s-dollar-dump/

**global** · 12-01-2019, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by TuskegeeBen

I, for one, neither consent to, nor praise Putin's actions/dealings, in any way, shape or form.

However, I do have an abiding respect for the man,...due to his (no-nonsense) Presidential demeanour,...

together with his quiet, intelligent manner of representing the Russian people,...before the global community.

Hell ya hi is a leader of a dominating country (even some wont recognize that)and presents himself as such.

**harrybarracuda** · 12-01-2019, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by global

Hell ya hi is a leader of a dominating country (even some wont recognize that)and presents himself as such.

Not sure about "leader", "owner" is probably a better word.

**SKkin** · 12-01-2019, 07:11 PM

https://www.jta.org/2014/03/11/globa...ve-or-politics

“Putin may be good for Jews, but he’s bad for Russia,” said Michael Edelstein, a lecturer at Moscow State University and a journalist for the L’chaim Jewish newspaper.

**Klondyke** · 19-01-2019, 01:39 PM

Serbia: Putin given hero's welcome in Belgrade
(almost like recently Trump was welcome in London)

**OhOh** · 22-01-2019, 08:03 PM

Lavrov’s statement following talks with Foreign Minister of Japan

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions at a news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of Japan Taro Kono, Moscow, January 14, 2019
"Ladies and gentlemen,

We have concluded lengthy talks with Foreign Minister of Japan Taro Kono concerning the instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe on expediting the work on a peace treaty based on the 1956 Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration.

As proposed by our Japanese colleagues, we agreed that we will not hold a joint news conference today. And so I thought it necessary to say a few words about what happened today. Foreign Minister Taro Kono will hold a briefing later tonight.

As I have already said, based on the instructions from our leaders, we discussed the work on a peace treaty based on the 1956 Declaration. I do not want to deny that there are substantial differences. Initially, our positions were diametrically opposed, as we have said multiple times. Our leaders’ political will, which is to fully normalise the relationship between Russia and Japan, is prompting us to intensify this dialogue.

Today we have reaffirmed our readiness to work on the basis of the 1956 Declaration, which means, above all, the immutability of the very first step – the full recognition by our Japanese neighbours of the outcome of World War II, including the Russian Federation’s sovereignty over all the islands of the South Kuril Ridge. Moreover, it is codified in the UN Charter and in numerous documents that were signed at the end of World War II, in particular on September 2, 1945 and in a number of subsequent documents. This is our basic position and without a step in this direction it is very difficult to count on any progress on other issues.

We have pointed out to our friends from Japan the fact that sovereignty over the islands is not subject to discussion. This is the territory of the Russian Federation. We also pointed out that in Japan’s legislation; these islands are designated as “northern territories,” which, of course, is unacceptable for the Russian Federation.
We asked a series of questions about how our Japanese colleagues are planning to work toward overcoming this particular problem and how the Japanese domestic legislation issues will be addressed, because in this case, it is not about interfering in internal affairs, but about legislation regulating issues that our Japanese colleagues would like to discuss and, probably, resolve with the Russian Federation. We are at the very beginning of the road.

We have a common understanding that it is necessary to drastically improve the quality of our relations to discuss the most difficult issues. In general, our relations are on the rise – there is development in the trade, economic, investment and cultural spheres. A cross year project is currently underway between Russia and Japan, which arouses a keen and lively interest among our citizens and among the residents of the Japanese islands. About five hundred events have been held, and more are planned. However, one can do immeasurably more than what is being done now in the economy and especially in investment. The agreement reached a couple of years ago between the President of Russia and the Prime Minister of Japan on the organisation of joint economic activity in the South Kuril Islands is being implemented, but on a very unimpressive scale. Five projects are planned, but not anywhere near breakthrough areas. We also pointed this out to our Japanese colleagues today and agreed that more ambitious projects would be worked out through the relevant agencies so that the joint economic activity would be more tangible.

We also touched on a number of major agreements that have been under discussion for many years and have not been implemented still. In particular, there is a need to begin formal negotiations on a preferential agreement on the trade in services and investment; consultations on expanding the scope of the Intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy; an agreement on the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes; an agreement between the Russian Federation and Japan on social security, and naturally on removing obstacles to visa-free travel.

We told our colleagues that in recent years Russia has offered many initiatives aimed either at liberalising the travel regime for various groups such as business people, tourists, participants in sports and cultural exchanges, or even introducing visa-free travel. This is our global goal. We believe there is no reason why Russia and Japan cannot introduce visa-free travel and begin, for example, with visa-free trips for residents of Sakhalin and Hokkaido.

The third area in which we should seriously upgrade our cooperation is foreign policy, international cooperation.

Today we analysed the positions of our countries on key global and regional issues. We noted that our positions in the UN do not always coincide, or rather do not coincide in most cases. I am referring to Japan’s voting on Russia’s initiatives. This does not reflect the level of trust that President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe want to achieve.

We agreed that our deputies, as envisaged by the agreement of our leaders to step up work on the peace treaty on the basis of the 1956 Declaration, will continue detailed contacts to clarify each other’s positions. By the next meeting of President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which is due later this month, we will report on the implementation of their instructions.

One more important aspect that I must mention concerns security cooperation. The 1956 Declaration was signed when Japan did not have a military alliance treaty with the US. The treaty was signed in 1960, after which our Japanese colleagues departed from the 1956 Declaration. Now that we are resuming talks on the basis of this declaration, we must consider the drastic change that has taken place in Japan’s military alliances since then. At today’s talks we devoted attention to the US efforts to develop a global missile defence system in Japan with a view to militarising that part of the world and also to the actions that the US formally justifies by citing the need to neutralise the North Korean nuclear threat. In reality, these actions are creating security risks for Russia and China.

I tried to give a brief account of the range of issues (we discussed them in much more detail), that our Japanese friends and we should study, clear up and try to reach a mutually acceptable approach on, for each of them. I am sure that such qualitative improvement of our cooperation, reaching the level of a trust-based partnership, will help us achieve the goals set by President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Let me recall that they spoke in favour of seeking a solution to the peace treaty problem that will be unanimously supported by the people of our countries. This is a very difficult task but we are patient and willing to move toward a common understanding."

Questions and answers, on the statement, are here:Lavrov?s statement following talks with Foreign Minister of Japan | The Vineyard of the Saker

**harrybarracuda** · 22-01-2019, 08:29 PM

So is he gonna give them the Kurils back?

HAHAHAHA I'm fucking joking of course.

**OhOh** · 22-01-2019, 09:08 PM

Russia cuts foreign debt to decade low while boosting national reserves

How dangerous is Vladimir Putin?-dxczqktxcaeh_n2-jpg

"Russia’s external debt has fallen by $64.4 billion or 12.4 percent from the beginning of last year, amounting to $453.7 billion as of January 1, 2019 – the lowest level since April 2009, according to Central Bank of Russia data.

All institutional sectors dropped their debts last year, the Central Bank of Russia announced on Monday, adding that other sectors contributed “the most to the country’s external debt contraction,” reducing their indebtedness by $32.3 billion.

The foreign debt has been dropping since mid-2014, when it reached its peak of around $733 billion in the wake US and EU sanctions. Since then, Russia managed to reduce debt by nearly $280 billion to reach the ten year minimum. In the fourth quarter of 2018 alone, the external debt was reportedly reduced by more than $16 billion or some 3.5 percent.

According to macro-statistical data, total external debt payments of non-financial institutions, including principal and interest, in the fourth quarter of 2018 and in the first quarter of 2019 will total $21.8 and $10.7 billion respectively.

The regulator said that Russia is expected to repay more than $4.8 billion in debt of 40 of the largest non-financial corporate borrowers in the first quarter of 2019. $800 million dollars is expected to be paid off in January, $772 million in February, and $3.3 billion in March.

Earlier this year, the Central Bank reported that foreign exchange reserves surged for the third consecutive year, boosted by 8.3 percent over the 12 months as of the beginning of 2019. Reserves saw growth of over $468 billion from $432 billion at the beginning of last January.

Moscow has been consistently eliminating its reliance on the greenback. The Central Bank’s latest quarterly report shows Russia has significantly cut the share of the US currency in foreign reserves to a historic low after it converted nearly $100 billion to euros, the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan."

https://www.rt.com/business/449394-r...-debt-minumum/

A country reducing it's debts, now there's a reason to hate it's leader.

**harrybarracuda** · 22-01-2019, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by OhOh

A country reducing it's debts, now there's a reason to hate it's leader.

Could probably do it a lot quicker if he gave back all the money he's nicked.

**Klondyke** · 23-01-2019, 01:26 PM

Russia interested in peace treaty with Japan on basis of 1956 Declaration – Putin
Published time: 22 Jan, 2019

Russia has confirmed interest in signing a peace treaty with Japan on the basis of the joint declaration of the Soviet Union and Japan of 1956, President Vladimir Putin said after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Moscow on Tuesday.

“Naturally, we discussed the outlook for concluding a peace treaty,” Putin said. He also said it is possible to increase the turnover between the two states to $30 billon. Now it stands at $18 billion. The Japanese PM said that the two leaders agreed to develop cooperation between the defense ministries.

https://www.rt.com/newsline/449433-r...-treaty-japan/

**OhOh** · 23-01-2019, 09:38 PM

One presumes the Pacific islands, loosely referred to as "Japan", lacks the legal and moral authority to make such decisions itself and must bend it's knee to it's foreign Emperor, for guidance.

The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan (日本国とアメリカ合衆国との間の相互協力及び安全保障条約 Nihon-koku to Amerika-gasshūkoku to no Aida no Sōgo Kyōryoku oyobi Anzen Hoshō Jōyaku), also known in Japan as Anpo jōyaku (安保条約) or just Anpo (安保) for short,^[1] was first signed in 1954

Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States and Japan

Article IV

This Treaty shall expire whenever in the opinion of the Governments of the United States of America and Japan there shall have come into force such United Nations arrangements or such alternative individual or collective security dispositions as will satisfactorily provide for the maintenance by the United Nations or otherwise of international peace and security in the Japan Area.

**harrybarracuda** · 24-01-2019, 01:11 AM

Originally Posted by OhOh

One presumes the Pacific islands, loosely referred to as "Japan", lacks the legal and moral authority to make such decisions itself and must bend it's knee to it's foreign Emperor, for guidance.

The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan (日本国とアメリカ合衆国との間の相互協力及び安全保障条約 Nihon-koku to Amerika-gasshūkoku to no Aida no Sōgo Kyōryoku oyobi Anzen Hoshō Jōyaku), also known in Japan as Anpo jōyaku (安保条約) or just Anpo (安保) for short,^[1] was first signed in 1954

Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States and Japan

Article IV

This Treaty shall expire whenever in the opinion of the Governments of the United States of America and Japan there shall have come into force such United Nations arrangements or such alternative individual or collective security dispositions as will satisfactorily provide for the maintenance by the United Nations or otherwise of international peace and security in the Japan Area.

Well we know baldy orange cunto will do whatever Vlad tells him to. So no Kurils for the nips.

**Dragonfly** · 24-01-2019, 03:14 AM

harry, you conspiracy theorist extraordinaire

**global** · 24-01-2019, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

harry, you conspiracy theorist extraordinaire

X2. he is a blind man and you cannot help ignorance. You can educate stupid but that's where it ends.

**harrybarracuda** · 24-01-2019, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by global

X2. he is a blind man and you cannot help ignorance. You can educate stupid but that's where it ends.

So smartarse, you reckon Vlad will give them their islands back do you?

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