Why is Russia paying billions to a country it’s invading that can be used to finance its defense?
Why would Russia put its economic lifeline and massive amounts of gas at risk by using a country that it’s currently bombing with all the adroit aim of a drunk in a toilet as a transit point if it could be easily replaced? Neither Europe nor Ukraine are prepared to kick their addiction to Russian gas. Putin knows it, which is why behind the scenes business is going on as usual.
Europe and Ukraine are asking Americans to make sacrifices while they keep on doing business with Putin.
Why is Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state owned gas company, continuing to transport millions of cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe each month.
Russian oil and gas still travels through Ukraine on its way out to Europe and beyond. Russia pays Ukraine “transit fees” this going down in “this makes no sense at all.” category.
Last year when I posted this, Ukraine earned about $2 billion in transit fees from the Russian use of its pipelines to move gas to Europe. Russia, and Putin’s cronies in particular, (Biden family), obviously make even more than that.
Russia cashes in an estimated $400 million a day from its gas exports to Europe.
This story a year ago.
A portion from Bunks post. Daniel Greenfield tells us the details at Front Page Mag:
Ukraine Demands Everyone Else Boycott Russia While Still Raking In Billions From Russian Gas
April 5, 2022 — bunkerville
I have wondered what the deal is on the energy flow out of Russia. Now we know. Still flowing and Russia is continuing making transit payments to Ukraine. Yes, while the war rages. We of course buy Russian energy as well. Then we impose sanctions on Russia. I think I have it.
“If Europe continues importing gas from Russia, why shouldn’t Ukraine benefit from it?” so goes the statement. Yet Zelensky demands constantly from all governments to stop the purchase Russian energy.
One answer is that Russia continues paying billions to Ukraine to transport its gas.
Yesterday I caught this over at Pravda. 2/15/2023
Russian oil and gas industry sponsors Armed Forces of Ukraine
It was reported on February 15 that Gazprom increased gas supplies via Ukraine from 30.8 million cubic meters to 35.3 million cubic meters per day (+15 percent). This is the maximum value since January 15th.
Gazprom’s gas transit payments to Kyiv have been growing, and it is no secret how the Ukrainian administration is spending that money. They spend on military needs in the first place.
Today, Russian natural gas travels to Europe either through the territory of Ukraine or via the Turkish Stream pipeline. However, Russian MPs do not say anything on the topic. Instead, they prefer to attack a weaker rival.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin instructed the Security Committee to send a request to the Prosecutor General’s Office regarding a Lukoil plant that allegedly supplies fuel to Ukraine. Prior to that, German publication Die Welt wrote that Lukoil’s refinery in Burgas “saved” the Armed Forces of Ukraine with its supplies at a very difficult moment, having ensured up to 40 percent of Ukraine’s needs.
Lukoil representatives replied that they did not know where the fuel was redirected from its Bulgaria buyers afterwards. However, the Russian state should force Lukoil to sell its business in Bulgaria, as it did in Italy in order to save the lives of Russian military personnel.
….
Why allow transit to EU through Baltic ports?
It was also revealed that Kazakhstan actively supplies fuel and other products to Russia-unfriendly Latvia by transiting its exports to the EU through Russia. It goes about such products as:
- petroleum products,
- coal,
- food.
.. Interestingly, President Putin interprets the problem from a completely different perspective. This is how he spoke about Gazprom’s transit payments to Ukraine — billions of dollars a year that are used to kill Russian military personnel.
“They call Russia an aggressor, but they keep getting the money for transit services. We pay them even if they call us an aggressor, although they are aggressors in relation to the Donbass. We counteract aggression, and not vice versa, but they take our money, and that is just fine for them. Money does not stink,” Putin said.
As a matter of fact, money does stink, and in this particular case, the stench is strong.
We are being played. Big time. Ukraine’s stench is everywhere. In case you missed yesterday’s post by Mustang.
The best of the swamp. Follow the money.
BUNKERVILLE | God, Guns and Guts Comrades! 