And yet... Again WC, ET's toilet of facts fails to see it. The way he fell into line though after Trump hit the nomination to his horror though.. What a guy. The admin responded to the poisonings, big woop, what choice they they have. https://www.politifact.com/factchec...nald-trump-been-much-tougher-russia-barack-o/
‘Useful Idiots!’ Joe Scarborough Blasts Trump Republicans for Praising Putin During Global Crisis: ‘You Are a Disgrace to America’ https://www.mediaite.com/tv/useful-...-global-crisis-you-are-a-disgrace-to-america/
Hey Tree, Do you think it's a good idea freezing the bank accounts of these Russian Oligarchs? I dunno if this is a good idea. These f'rs don't mess around. They're ruthless. I mean I understand economic sanctions, but these guys are as diabolic as they come. As a general rule of thumb, you don't want to incur the wrath of murderous thugs with unlimited access to hackers etc. Thoughts?
Note there are already many Russian Oligarchs who have been frozen out of western banking systems for years and had assets siezed. We would just be adding more to the list.
I will admit that the earlier list generally included only Russian Oligarchs who were accused of criminal activity plus some earlier sanctions situations (e.g. April 6, 2018) The recent list is much larger in scope. These are the Russian banks and oligarchs sanctioned by US over Ukraine ‘invasion’ https://nypost.com/2022/02/22/these-are-the-russian-banks-and-elites-sanctioned-by-us/ Two Kremlin-backed banks and the sons of three of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s cronies are among the first targets of US sanctions for what President Joe Biden on Tuesday called “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.” Biden announced the punitive financial measures after Putin ordered his country’s military to “perform peacekeeping functions” in two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine. The sanctions prevent the VEB and PSB banks from doing business in the US, cut off their access to the US financial system and freeze any assets under American jurisdiction. The targeted “elites” — who the Treasury Department suspects of “participating in the Russian regime’s kleptocracy” — are blocked from accessing any property or engaging in any transactions in the US. (More at above url)
None of them are going to be eating many peanut butter sandwiches. They put big bucks in those accounts mostly to lead the russian government and the americans to believe that that is where their big bucks are. Meanwhile, you may recall - my memory is a little fuzzy here- that there was the leak of clients who worked with that Panama law firm or financial firm or something. Almost all of Putin's immediate buddies had accounts there. These guys most definitely do not put all their eggs in one basket. They have dozens of accounts like that around the world. I am in favor of heavy duty sanctions but they are mostly like kicking the dog. Sanctions go on. Putin keeps any territory he keeps. Sanctions get lifted down the road. Putin still keeps the territory. Putin rolling in the cash when he drive the price of oil and gas up. Where Putin will have near term trouble is with the Iranians. Putin is a snake and the Iranians are snakes and they work together, except when it is not in their interest they will knife each other. You might say that they are ...errr...well.....snakes. The Iranians have died and gone to heaven because Biden and Putin sanctions have made the US suddenly even more dependent on foreign oil RIGHT WHILE ANOTHER NUKE DEAL IS BEING NEGOTIATED. Let's just say that the Iranians are going to get a Saaaaaaaaaaaaweet deal and their sanctions will be lifted soon.......and they sitting on a pile of oil THAT IS ALREADY IN STORAGE. They are about to become a YUGE beneficiary of this flap with their buddy Vlad. But, hey, nothing personal, just bidness. It's further down the road, but Biden will wake up some morning with a boner for talking with Venezuela too.