U.S. and European companies still have billions of dollars in assets in Russia—and Moscow is starting to retaliate.
  • Sodium_nitride@lemmygrad.ml
    23·
    4 months ago

    The much higher holdings of Russian assets in Europe and the much larger presence of European businesses in Russia make European companies more vulnerable to Moscow’s retaliation.

    Yet more evidence that the purpose of project Ukraine is to sever Europe’s ties to Russia and neuter it’s economy.

    Honestly, if the empire were any less decayed, project Ukraine would have gone down as one of the best geostrategic moves the us ever played. Still might.

    • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmygrad.mlOP
      12·
      4 months ago

      I do think that this was probably the only move that US could have played to bolster their control over its vassals. If Europe was allowed to continue integrating economically with Russia and China, then US would lose political control over it in short order. That said, it does seem like the scheme is already starting to backfire as we see Europeans rebelling against the rapid decline in their economic conditions.

      It’s very likely that both NATO and EU will end up falling apart as a result of all this. For example, I can easily see countries like Hungary and Slovakia flipping over to BRICS. Once a precedent is set, then more countries could follow. It’s becoming clear that the dominant view in Italy, France, and Germany is that people do not want to restart a cold war with Russia. It’s highly likely that nationalist governments will get in power that will try to restart economic integration with the east once more. While relations with Russia will likely stay tense for the foreseeable future, trade is likely to increase despite that. And of course, the problems between Europe and China are far less severe which will allow China to play as a mediator.

    • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmygrad.mlOP
      15·
      4 months ago

      The funniest part to me was people acting all surprised that capitalist enterprise would prioritize seeking profit in Russia over protecting western ideology.

      • Soviet Pigeon@lemmygrad.ml
        6·
        4 months ago

        What do you mean, capitalists only want to accumulate their capital? I am total shocked and shaking right now, because now one could know it. Probably the CIA found it out, they find everything out, I tell you! Do you think capitalist would also sell to someone the strick with which they will hanged? I have to take medicine daily now, because my golden heart, my golden bourgeois fat heart is aching so much.

      • CyberMonkey404@lemmy.ml
        6·
        4 months ago

        Maybe they thought Russia was not that appealing of a market? There’s what, 130 million people? Around the same as Vietnam. The interest was in natural resources, but the comprador government is gleefully selling them even now. Compared to the ginormous market of China and the rapidly growing markets in Southeast Asia, Russia really looks less appealing

        • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmygrad.mlOP
          13·
          4 months ago

          The logic of capitalism is to fill every niche. Russia has a big market, it’s also a high income country where spending is a lot higher than in most Southeast Asian countries.

  • Das_Bruno@lemmy.ml
    91·
    4 months ago

    I mean, the companies who continue to conduct business in Russia were given the same opportunity to make swift exit as all the others. If they incur losses as a result of retaliatory actions from Russia, seems the blame would fall squarely on their own shoulders. In the rare case where making an exit is not clear cut, perhaps some of the leftover $300 billion could be petitioned for use to subsidize these businesses’ losses, if they can demonstrate unavoidable and confounding barriers to exit.