LaxPower Back-Up Stick

Things change. In the first decade of the new millennium, as the cold war and the Soviet Union were becoming a memory to many in the West, Russia’s new president, Vladimir Putin, pressed on with his plan of refashioning the democracy whose birth we had witnessed back into autocracy. The free press of Gorbachev’s glasnost era was dispensed with first. Journalists died, along with out-of-favor oligarchs and politicians. Dipping into the familiar rhetoric of division, Putin created enemies—the Chechens, the Georgians, the gays, the liberals, the Ukrainians, all while spinning myths of “Great Russia.”

Typical Lax Dad wrote:The Peculiar Business of Being Russian-American in Trump’s USA

Things change. In the first decade of the new millennium, as the cold war and the Soviet Union were becoming a memory to many in the West, Russia’s new president, Vladimir Putin, pressed on with his plan of refashioning the democracy whose birth we had witnessed back into autocracy. The free press of Gorbachev’s glasnost era was dispensed with first. Journalists died, along with out-of-favor oligarchs and politicians. Dipping into the familiar rhetoric of division, Putin created enemies—the Chechens, the Georgians, the gays, the liberals, the Ukrainians, all while spinning myths of “Great Russia.”

" Everyone knows how to hate Russia,” Khrushcheva says. “We make a convenient enemy.”

To believe that Russia is the reason for, rather than amplifier of, the disturbing tendencies in American society is tempting, because if Russia goes away, so will those tendencies. The danger is that we may be taking our desires for reality.

In the end, “Russiagate” might well be the thing that brings Donald Trump down—we Russians are known for heroic suicide missions. But we Americans must not forget that the underlying issue is neither Putin nor Trump, neither collusion nor obstruction. What we’re dealing with now is the global assault by authoritarianism on democracy.

Trinity wrote:Hey, look at that—10 Republican Senators stood up to Trump and Putin on sanctions relief. Progress!

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKCN1OI2AS

After lobbying by European governments, Washington postponed enforcement of the sanctions and started talks with Deripaska’s team on removing Rusal and En+ from the blacklist if he ceded control of Rusal.

Deripaska will remain under sanctions, the Treasury said. However, the three Deripaska companies - Rusal, En+ and power firm EuroSibEnergo - have agreed to restructure to reduce Deripaska’s stakes.

old salt wrote:

Trinity wrote:Hey, look at that—10 Republican Senators stood up to Trump and Putin on sanctions relief. Progress!

Our EUroburgher NATO allies will not be pleased.
...they do not fear the Bear, as we do.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKCN1OI2AS

After lobbying by European governments, Washington postponed enforcement of the sanctions and started talks with Deripaska’s team on removing Rusal and En+ from the blacklist if he ceded control of Rusal.

Deripaska will remain under sanctions, the Treasury said. However, the three Deripaska companies - Rusal, En+ and power firm EuroSibEnergo - have agreed to restructure to reduce Deripaska’s stakes.

Let's see how often the US MSM mentions EU lobbying in their reporting on this.

https://www.rt.com/business/448663-euro ... ift-rusal/

European envoys to the US backed plans to drop the sanctions against Rusal and En+, linked to Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska, reports say.
It would save thousands of jobs and curb “serious damage” to the aluminum industry.

The ambassadors of Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the UK as well as the head of the EU mission in the US addressed the American lawmakers, calling on them to push forward the potential lift of Washington’s penalties against the companies.

The diplomats believe some 75,000 workers will have means of existence and Europe aluminum industry will be kept afloat, according to their letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel obtained by media, including Bloomberg and Tass, late on Friday.

“By preventing serious damage to the European aluminum industry, the de-listing will help preserve existing supply chains which would otherwise likely be rerouted to China, further strengthening its global market position in the industry,” the envoys reportedly wrote on January 4.

The envoys also said that since the sanctions were imposed, the alumina and aluminum enterprises in their home countries faced price hikes and difficulties in their business activities.

European companies have previously warned that bite of anti-Russian sanctions would affect them. For example, German-based firms told RT that they fear disruptions “worth hundreds of millions of euros” and production losses because of US embargo.

https://www.rt.com/business/424645-germ ... -aluminum/

Sanctions against top Russian aluminum producers are likely to hit European car production, according to Germany’s WVMetalle, a lobbying group for 655 metals companies.
The group says unless actions are taken, many car plants in Germany and Europe will be closed, and others will face supply disruption, Bloomberg reports.

“Re-jigging all of those trade flows is really, really tough. You’ve cut off the US and Europe from its traditional supplier,” Michael Widmer, head of metals markets research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in London, told Bloomberg.

The crucial plant for Europe is Russia’s RUSAL facility in the Aughinish aluminum refinery in Ireland. The aluminum from the plant is sold to smelters across Europe. “Aughinish is indispensable for the alumina supply of the European market,” WVMetalle said.

Aluminum prices have surged almost 30 percent in the last two weeks to $2,537 – the highest level in seven years. Earlier in an interview with RT, Russia’s aluminum association predicted the same consequences as the German lobbying group did.

“The high price of aluminum, which is the result of the largest player's withdrawal from the market, will slow economic growth and affect the competitiveness of export-oriented European industries like the automotive industry and other transport engineering. Germany could suffer the most,” the association said.

Trinity wrote:Not to worry. Senate GOP defeats Dem measure to enforce sanctions against companies controlled by Russian oligarch OLEG DERIPASKA. Sanctions now all but certain to be lifted this week pursuant to TRUMP administration deal.
Also, I don’t give a damn about European aluminum.

dislaxxic wrote:Well, how bout THAT? OldSalty now directly quoting RT to make "his" case on sanctions...you just can't make this stuff up.

old salt wrote:

dislaxxic wrote:Well, how bout THAT? OldSalty now directly quoting RT to make "his" case on sanctions...you just can't make this stuff up.

How predictable. You even beat MDLF76 to the punch.

Relax Comrade McCarthy -- it's RT quoting Bloomberg.

Let's see if MSNBC or CNN point out the EU lobbying.

Nostrovia

Trinity wrote:GOP Sen. John Kennedy on why he voted to keep sanctions on Oleg Deripaska: "This guy is bad news. He's a tyrant, a pirate, a gangster and he's hurting the Russian people every day and he's trying to hurt America. We've got him down. I say let's choke him."

Big difference from Trump and Manafort who want to “get whole.”

Deripaska must reduce his stake in EN+ to 44.95%, down from 70%. It also limits his voting share to 35%, severing his ability to control the company. EN+ has to appoint a new board of directors, and the U.S. will get to read quarterly earnings reports and the minutes of board meetings. And Mr. Deripaska can’t any collect future dividends.

EN+ is “the linchpin” underlying the sanctions designations on all three companies, according to the U.S., because Mr. Deripaska has virtually no direct ownership in Rusal and none at all in EuroSibEnergo.

Congress, under a 2017 sanctions law, had 30 days to block the deal by passing disapproval resolutions. The failed vote in the Senate all but doomed the effort, however, and the sanctions on the companies are expected to be removed Friday. Mr. Deripaska will remain on the sanctions list.

Checks and balances are important, but Congress shouldn’t be overturning the technical decisions made by the Treasury, said Douglas Jacobson, a partner at the law firm Jacobson Burton Kelley PLLC. “These decisions aren’t made upon presidential whims,” he said.

old salt wrote:

Trinity wrote:GOP Sen. John Kennedy on why he voted to keep sanctions on Oleg Deripaska: "This guy is bad news. He's a tyrant, a pirate, a gangster and he's hurting the Russian people every day and he's trying to hurt America. We've got him down. I say let's choke him."

Big difference from Trump and Manafort who want to “get whole.”

The sanctions still hammer Deripaska. From the WSJ :

Deripaska must reduce his stake in EN+ to 44.95%, down from 70%. It also limits his voting share to 35%, severing his ability to control the company. EN+ has to appoint a new board of directors, and the U.S. will get to read quarterly earnings reports and the minutes of board meetings. And Mr. Deripaska can’t any collect future dividends.

EN+ is “the linchpin” underlying the sanctions designations on all three companies, according to the U.S., because Mr. Deripaska has virtually no direct ownership in Rusal and none at all in EuroSibEnergo.

Congress, under a 2017 sanctions law, had 30 days to block the deal by passing disapproval resolutions. The failed vote in the Senate all but doomed the effort, however, and the sanctions on the companies are expected to be removed Friday. Mr. Deripaska will remain on the sanctions list.

Checks and balances are important, but Congress shouldn’t be overturning the technical decisions made by the Treasury, said Douglas Jacobson, a partner at the law firm Jacobson Burton Kelley PLLC. “These decisions aren’t made upon presidential whims,” he said.