mmissinglink said:
Russia has an economy based mainly on energy exports. A saction would hurt them. China is not ready to defend Russia and what Russian allies are going to help a floundering Russian economy???
The sanctions will take form mainly as freezes of cash flow in the Central Banks. The US has learned a lot about how to enact economic sanctions over the past 2 decades and especially in 2013. Iran suffered.
The U.S. is very capable of putting a big hurt on Russia through economic sanctions. Why do you think Russia has been so feckless in other areas of conflict right on its borders over the past decade or so? They fear the imposition of economic sanctions at this point.
US takes about 5% of Russian export
10% go to CHina and Japan
60%(!!!) go to Europe and it is mostly gas and oil
now let's imagine they start sanctions ... US is not hurt but Europe will freeze as there's no other sources of oil (Americans destroyed almost every alternative in Middle East).
That's why I am saying that Europe will not start sanctions ... and the most sober country in EU - Germany, understands it, thus they stopped any calims to make Russia leave G8.
There're two gas/oil roots that are going to be started in 2015, and they will go around Ukraine, that's why they escalated conflict so that Russia and EU don't have alternatives. But Russia is ruled by the man with strong balls and they didn't expected this kind of action.
Russia is a big dog and can play the same game US does ... BTW they are showing it right now. Moreover Russia just outsmarted the West - being first to step in the country and not allowing any NATO troops in Ukraine. If NATO were first it would be extremely difficult for Russia to do what they did, but now it is difficult for the West to do the same.
In general Ukraine lost the most productive assets of their country - the regions that earn the leaving for Ukraine are about to leave or going to make exclusive agreements.
P.S. BTW there will be no war
P.P.S. Ukraine blamed Russia for 3 months ... RUssia took step forward so that those blames are reasonable.))