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Biden had allowed the Russkies to see oil to the EU by giving their banks exceptions.

No more. Trump ended that today:

https://x.com/marcthiessen/status/1900190300330406...

BREAKING: Trump had cut off all Russian oil sales to EU!

Treasury has ended the Biden exemption that allowed sanctioned Russian banks to process European payments for oil sales. Now no one in Europe can purchase Russian oil

The order:
https://x.com/marcthiessen/status/1900190300330406...

As said before: now the Zelensky is ready to come to the table, it's time to put pressure on Putin to do the same. Energy exports are keeping their economy afloat. Take that away...

Oh, and the days of Europe paying Russia more than they were the Ukraine war effort would seem to be over now.

BREAKING: Trump had cut off all Russian oil sales to EU!

Starving the EU for oil is not a good strategy. The Eu has been gradually reducing its dependence on Russian oil, but the EUs economy is not ours to wreck.

This was a boneheaded move.

Starving the EU for oil is not a good strategy. The Eu has been gradually reducing its dependence on Russian oil, but the EUs economy is not ours to wreck.

This was a boneheaded move.

LOL. Did you read this before you wrote it?

And lookie here:

https://www.fox5vegas.com/2025/03/13/putin-says-he...

Putin says he agrees in principle with US ceasefire proposal

<Tony Stark>
How about that?
</Tony Stark>

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia agrees in principle with the U.S. ceasefire proposal, but the terms need to be worked out. He emphasized that it should pave the way to lasting peace.

“We agree with the proposals to halt the fighting, but we proceed from the assumption that the ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and remove the root causes of the crisis,” Putin said.

People have the (erroneous) impression that diplomacy is about tea doilies and Brooks Brothers suits. What it's really about is finding the right pressure points...and giving a good squeeze when necessary.

Treasury has ended the Biden exemption that allowed sanctioned Russian banks to process European payments for oil sales. Now no one in Europe can purchase Russian oil

I do not support or visit web sites that promote nazis. Just a hang up of mine.

I used my Google machine and searched this topic and couldn’t find one link about it.

Anyone see anything about this on a legitimate news site?

Nothing so far. The most recent thing I could find was Mar 3, about easing Russia sanctions.

I will not click on a Xhitter link, even before when they were "Twitter". Same for FB. Most content there is garbage, and not worth my time. Plus I don't want to give them a "click" that they can report in their advertising statistics.

Hopefully, something from a legitimate source pops up. Because this one is confusing. How can the US "allow" Russian banks to do anything? They can do what they want. They are not subject to US laws, unless somehow a US payment is involved. But the excerpt you posted was talking about European payments. We have nothing to say about that, to my knowledge.

I agree with the other poster. Even if we could affect European payments in Russian banks, it's really up to Europe. Not us.

So this "story" is either incomplete, or complete BS. Not sure which.

Dope1: Biden had allowed the Russkies to see oil to the EU by giving their banks exceptions.


Marc Thiessen is an idiot who panders to fools.

Days before President Biden leaves the White House, the U.S. government has delivered a major blow against Russia. On January 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced its most comprehensive sanctions to-date against Russia’s energy sector. OFAC’s sanctions were complemented by another sweeping sanctions action by the U.S. Department of State (State Department) on the same day.

Also, with ten days to go in President Biden’s term, his Treasury Department announced tough new sanctions on Russia:

Friday’s actions targeting Russia’s energy sector have the potential to significantly disrupt Russia’s ability to generate revenue from the sale of oil. Unlike previous efforts to restrict Russia’s oil profits, such as the sixty-dollar-per-barrel price cap and sanctions on financial institutions such as Gazprombank, the latest sanctions directly target Russia’s energy sector and its ability to export oil. Notably, the United States and the United Kingdom designated two important Russian oil producers and exporters, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, along with their subsidiaries, which handle more than a quarter of Russia’s seaborne oil exports. These entities were designated under two different authorities—Executive Order (EO) 14024 and EO 13662. This is significant because EO 13662 sanctions are codified in law, specifically the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act of 2017. This means that the incoming Trump administration will need to confer with Congress if it wants to lift the sanctions on these companies.



https://www.troutman.com/insights/a-minefield-in-r...

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlantic...

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/03/1153833640/europe-r...

https://energyandcleanair.org/russia-sanction-trac...

I do not support or visit web sites that promote nazis.

Erm, yeah. Don't care.

I used my Google machine and searched this topic and couldn’t find one link about it.

Here, let's have someone lead this particular horse to water:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/puti...

I won't quote it. You can do that much.

PS. I told you so.

Days before President Biden

Wow, ChatNPC. "Days before Biden leaves office". <--- you're going with this?

Remind me when it was that Putin invaded the Ukraine, again? Wasn't that...checks notes...2022?

Why wait 3 years to do this?

Notably, the United States and the United Kingdom designated two important Russian oil producers and exporters, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, along with their subsidiaries, which handle more than a quarter of Russia’s seaborne oil exports.

^--- LOL. How hard is it to set up a shell company?

You and your I don't like looking at source documents fellow travelers should have looked at the actual Treasury order, which I linked. Since you didn't, I'll spell it out: Trump targeted Putin's banks this time.

Dopey

Biden had allowed the Russkies to see oil to the EU by giving their banks exceptions.

No more. Trump ended that today:

https://x.com/marcthiessen/status/1900190300330406...

BREAKING: Trump had cut off all Russian oil sales to EU!

Treasury has ended the Biden exemption that allowed sanctioned Russian banks to process European payments for oil sales. Now no one in Europe can purchase Russian oil

The document you are quoting was written Jan 10,2025 and the US government allowed 2 months to close out all transactions. Do you recommend a different length of time to close out transactions?

Anyway you are grasping at straws to say this was a Trump action. Surely there is something you can point to that Trump has done well without resorting to fabrications.

Aussi

The document you are quoting was written Jan 10,2025 and the US government allowed 2 months to close out all transactions. Do you recommend a different length of time to close out transactions?

Anyway you are grasping at straws to say this was a Trump action. Surely there is something you can point to that Trump has done well without resorting to fabrications.

Biden did *zero* to get Putin to the table; Trump has. Not sure why this is so hard to process. Or why you people are taking this so hard.

Biden did *zero* to get Putin to the table; Trump has.

Pivoting. The date was before the inauguration, so it wasn't the Felon. So you make a blanket statement like that.

What did the Felon do? He conceded pretty much all that Putin wanted before they even sat down. And then they sat down without Zelensky.

That's hardly a 'win'. Zelensky has already said that any talks that exclude Ukraine are pointless; they will keep fighting.

I enlisted in the Navy to oppose the Soviets. Now we're like a guard dog that wags its tail while the robbers crawl through an open window. When I had enlisted, we would have torn his face off. And then wagged our tails.

You know this, but you're trying to spin it.

Fortunately, Europe is showing signs of increasing their aid. So Ukraine can try to repel their invaders for as long as they have the will.

ivoting. The date was before the inauguration,

Fail. If Biden was such a badass on Putin, why'd he wait until <2 weeks before leaving to do this? No, Trump told him he was going to pull this trigger.

He conceded pretty much all that Putin wanted before they even sat down.

Do you understand how diplomacy works? Like, at all? The only people who seriously think the Ukraine is joining NATO are Zelensky and you guys. They're not. Never were.

Z's front is about to collapse around Kursk because Putin has more dudes, more guns and more money to throw into the meat grinder. Under the left's brilliant strategery, Ukraine loses on the battlefield and then Putin gets a lot more than he has now.

Let's not allow that, shall we?

I enlisted in the Navy to oppose the Soviets. Good for you. Same reason I joined ROTC back in the day.

Now we're like a guard dog that wags its tail while the robbers crawl through an open window. When I had enlisted, we would have torn his face off. And then wagged our tails.

Oh? Then why didn't Biden Tear Putin's face off? Why didn't Obama? Your statements and posture don't jive with what either of those two Presidents actually did (which was...nothing).

Fortunately, Europe is showing signs of increasing their aid.

Sure about that?

So Ukraine can try to repel their invaders for as long as they have the will.

The "Will" is only part of it. They lack the dudes, the guns and the money to fight indefinitely. Why won't you accept that?

And by the way, you guys are going to get another I Told You So from yours truly regarding Europe's nonexistent military readiness. I'll write that tomorrow.

If Biden was such a badass on Putin, why'd he wait until <2 weeks before leaving to do this?

I didn't say he was. But, in fact, the Reps have been screaming about supporting Ukraine for a couple of years now. And Biden did it anyway, even authorizing use of longer-range weapons into Russian/Soviet territory. The Felon had nothing to do with that.

The Felon is rolling-over for Putin to give him exactly what he wants.

The "Will" is only part of it. They lack the dudes, the guns and the money to fight indefinitely. Why won't you accept that?

Because: 1) that's not what I said, and 2) it doesn't require "indefinitely". It just requires "long enough", which they absolutely can do so long as they get materiel. "Long enough" is another two years (give or take). Russia will be in dire straits by that point.

You're thinking in WWII terms. Big battles, armored columns, etc. That's even what Putin apparently was thinking when he tried to drive to Kyiv. That style of war ended 3 years ago because Putin failed to achieve that goal. This war is no longer of that style. It's closer to 'Nam.

Numerous examples disprove your argument. Afghanistan (3 times...the Brits, the Soviets, and us), 'Nam (French and us), our revolution, and many more. The overwhelming favorite in every one of those situations was simply outlasted, gave up, and went home.

But, in fact, the Reps have been screaming about supporting Ukraine for a couple of years now. And Biden did it anyway, even authorizing use of longer-range weapons into Russian/Soviet territory.

Now who’s pivoting. You’re forgetting that Trump was the guy who first gave Javelins to the Ukrainians.

The Felon is rolling-

This statement isn’t accurate, and no matter how many times you repeat it it still won’t be.

Because: 1) that's not what I said, and 2) it doesn't require "indefinitely". It just requires "long enough", which they absolutely can do so long as they get materiel.

“Long enough”? They need dudes. More guns. All of it. Putin has Norks willing to crawl through pipelines and die of methane poisoning.

goal. This war is no longer of that style. It's closer to 'Nam.

It most certainly does not. Vietnam featured hit and run guerrilla warfare until the North’s invasion at the end. This resembles more of World War I with a war of attrition along a fixed set of front lines.

Your historical analogy is wrong, and so therefore is your analysis.

You’re forgetting that Trump was the guy who first gave Javelins to the Ukrainians.

Yeah, in 2019. But he, and Reps in general, have been complaining about supporting Ukraine since Putin invaded them. Reps actually held-up support at least once (about a year ago).

And, yes, it is accurate. The Felon (and Vance, to be fair) have started negotiations with almost everything Putin wants. If that isn't "rolling over", it's a pretty good approximation of it. And Zelensky (nor any representative of Ukraine) wasn't even consulted.

You keep obsessing about "dudes". They have the dudes, at least for now. Sure...if Putin could drag this out for 10 years, Ukraine might run out of people. But Putin can't. His economy won't endure. And likely the will of his people won't endure. But, yes, Ukraine needs more "guns" (materiel). Which is the whole point...that's all they've asked of anyone, and that's all we have been sending.

Your comparison to WWI is also appropriate. Yes, it's trench attritional warfare. But my comparison is also correct in that the larger nation invading the small one got bogged down, and is not in a fight of attrition (both in materiel and will). Ukraine cannot defeat Russia militarily, or at least isn't likely to. But they can outlast them. That's all they need to do. And we aren't asking them to; they're telling us that they want to. Just send them materiel, and they will do the heavy lifting.

But he, and Reps in general, have been complaining about supporting Ukraine since Putin invaded them.

Because there was no strategy of any kind.

have started negotiations with almost everything Putin wants

Again, you’re the only person that thinks the Ukraine is getting into NATO. They’re just not. And since Zelensky lacks the dudes, the guns and the money to eject Putin, some kind of territorial concessions will happen. This is reality.

You keep obsessing about "dudes". They have the dudes, at least for now.

They do not have the dudes. If they did, they wouldn’t need conscription squads:

https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/10/28/conscription-...

The thinness of Ukrainian soldiers on the long front line in the east and south—and since August in Russia, too—is no secret, and fresh manpower is urgently required. Some infantries have battled relentless Russian offensives from the trenches since the spring of 2022, when the full-scale Russian invasion began—and some longer—without proper leave. Ukraine’s armed forces have no demobilization procedures, which basically makes service a one-way ticket: a condition neither fair to those in the field nor attractive to civilians considering enlistment.

Putin will accept our offer of total surrender if and only if we make reparations for the cost of the bombs he was forced to drop on schools, hospitals and homes.

Putin will accept our offer of total surrender

*Twirls finger around temple, walks away*

The next step in negotiating is more carrots:

https://www.politico.eu/article/nato-secretary-gen...

Europe and the United States should eventually normalize relations with Russia once the fighting in Ukraine ends, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said.

“It’s normal if the war would have stopped for Europe somehow, step by step, and also for the U.S., step by step, to restore normal relations with Russia," Rutte said in an interview with Bloomberg on Friday.

However, the defense chief added that the alliance must keep up the pressure on Moscow to ensure they engage seriously in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.



Right now for Russia the West needs to make this about pain management: promise less pain in exchange for X and Y.

Putin will accept our offer of total surrender if and only if we make reparations for the cost of the bombs he was forced to drop on schools, hospitals and homes.

But the master deal-maker will surely get Putin to back off that demand! </snark>

A lot of uncertainty right now. Europe is trying to step-up support for Ukraine, so Zelensky may not be forced to take a deal where they give up all their lost territory (plus a bit more...I think Russia wants the remaining Donbas that they don't already occupy), with no security assurances (which mean nothing without NATO membership).

He's certainly under no obligation to accept a truce that his government had no part in negotiating. He doesn't show any sign of giving up, even without US support. Which, for the record, is not us forcing him to do anything. I suspect he realizes that Russia can't continue this for much longer, and is trying to hold out long enough that Putin will have to give up something. Though, without US support, he will be in a worse position to demand a withdrawal from all occupied territories. If Putin see that the levels of support are high, he would know he would have to give up some stuff to make this end. Can Europe step it up in our absence? I hope for Ukraine's sake that they can.

Dope1: Biden did *zero* to get Putin to the table; Trump has.

Here are the concessions Trump has made for Russia so far and Putin still will not agree to a ceasefire:

1. Ukraine cannot join NATO

2. Ukraine must give up territory to Russia

3. No new military aid for Ukraine

4. No U.S. Peacekeeping troops for Ukraine

5. The U.S. will restore diplomatic relations with Russia

6. The U.S. voted with Russia, Belarus, North Korea and several other rogue nations on a resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine

7. Trump has indicated he will lift sanctions against Russia

That's what Trump has done: surrendered for Ukraine and even with that, Russia won't agree to a ceasefire. In fact, Russia's immediate response was to send missiles at civilian targets in Ukraine.

Why you guys love a president who wants to destroy the U.S. federal government, the U.S. economy and U.S. international alliances is a real headscratcher.

That's what Trump has done: surrendered for Ukraine and even with that, R

No. Sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about.

1. There's no universe where Ukraine joins NATO.
Not ever going to happen.

2. Go look at a map. Ukraine lacks the dudes, the guns and the money to throw the Russkies out.

3. You have this wrong. Trump has said no such thing.

4. US Peacekeepers was never going to happen.

5. We've never broken off relations with Russia.

6. Who cares?

7. How do you expect Putin to deal if you don't offer him at least something?

Here are the concessions Trump has made for Russia so far and Putin still will not agree to a ceasefire:

1. Ukraine cannot join NATO

2. Ukraine must give up territory to Russia

3. No new military aid for Ukraine

4. No U.S. Peacekeeping troops for Ukraine

5. The U.S. will restore diplomatic relations with Russia

6. The U.S. voted with Russia, Belarus, North Korea and several other rogue nations on a resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine

7. Trump has indicated he will lift sanctions against Russia

Yeah...but the Felon isn't rolling over! Just ask the MAGA-ites.

Yeah...but the Felon isn't rolling over! Just ask the MAGA-ites.

Sigh. Do you go to a car dealer and demand the loaded F-150, and then tell the dealer you're not going to pay for it? How's that work out for you?

Sigh. Do you go to a car dealer and demand the loaded F-150, and then tell the dealer you're not going to pay for it? How's that work out for you?

Non-sequitur.

If the dealer haggles (some don't), I don't start with the sticker price in my negotiations. I start below that, and begin talking about extras and incentives. The Felon started with the sticker price, and is telling me I have to buy the car even though I don't want it.

That's a closer analogy to this situation. Just ask Zelensky. Oh...but Zelensky has no say in whether his country is invaded, or the terms for which the invasion ends, even though he is still fighting the invasion as other countries try to sell him out.

Still not a great analogy. Better to deal with the actual situation. Zelensky wants to fight, wants materiel to do it, and if we give it to him, then he can tie up one of our three or four biggest adversaries and drain their economy and resources for us. It's a big win for us, and evidently the Ukrainians regard it as a win for themselves. Who are you to tell them they're wrong about their willingness to fight for their country?

Non-sequitur.

Nope. Right in line with the nonsensical nature of the other posts.

Better to deal with the actual situation.

Oh, okay. Here's the actual situation. Zelensky lacks the dudes, the guns and the money to throw Putin out of the Ukraine.

So since he can't recover all his territory...what do you propose? Oh, right. The Ukrainians keep fighting it out.

Slight problem. They don't have the dudes, the guns or the money.

How many US tank divisions are you willing to commit to the fight?

Oh, okay. Here's the actual situation. Zelensky lacks the dudes, the guns and the money to throw Putin out of the Ukraine.

So since he can't recover all his territory...what do you propose? Oh, right. The Ukrainians keep fighting it out.

Slight problem. They don't have the dudes, the guns or the money.

So you give them the guns and the money. The West can do that for much longer than the Russians can - our economies are (collectively) doing okay, but theirs is on the brink of collapsing.

Ukraine can't throw the Russians out. But small nations never win these kinds of wars by physically throwing out the other side. Vietnam never had the power to throw the U.S. out, and Afghanistan never had the power to throw the U.S. (or the Soviets) out either. But those nations won their wars anyway, because they only needed to outlast the invading power's desire to keep fighting. The country being invaded usually has the edge there, because the fight is existential for the home country but (usually) by choice for the invading country.

If you were going into a cease-fire negotiation with Russia on behalf of Ukraine, you would typically position your side as being willing to supply Ukraine with guns and money for as long as they want them, so that Russia would face the incentive to insist on less in exchange for ending the war. Cutting off supplies to Ukraine and signaling that you care more about ending the war than any of Ukraine's objectives is probably not the best way to get them a good outcome.

So you give them the guns and the money.

And the dudes? Who supplies those? Gonna hire Blackwater x10 to do the job?

But those nations won their wars anyway, because they only needed to outlast the invading power's desire to keep fighting

Sigh. I don’t know who put this Vietnam/Afghanistan analogy together but whoever it is flunked history.

Let’s say Vietnam is your example. You realize that for it to work that Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now, right? And that the Viet Cong/NVA had PLENTY of dudes, guns and money, right?

No. The situation in the Ukraine more resembles France, 1917, where a tactical stalemate has been going on for over a year. The Brits were running out of dudes, were broke, and half the French army was in mutiny.

What broke the stalemate? 1 millions American dudes.

Your “small country” analogy is wildly off in the present scenario.

Zelensky is either an idiot or is delusional. Why? Because he’s not winning on the front lines and he’s out of dudes, guns and money but he talks like he has plenty of all 3.

He’s not acting rationally. A rational leader knows when to talk and he doesn’t. Ergo, Trump had to work on him to get him to the table.

BTW. The mineral areas of the Ukraine are behind Putin’s lines. Does that suggest to you that the US now has a stake in these negotiations?

So you give them the guns and the money. The West can do that for much longer than the Russians can - our economies are (collectively) doing okay, but theirs is on the brink of collapsing.

Ukraine can't throw the Russians out. But small nations never win these kinds of wars by physically throwing out the other side. Vietnam never had the power to throw the U.S. out, and Afghanistan never had the power to throw the U.S. (or the Soviets) out either. But those nations won their wars anyway, because they only needed to outlast the invading power's desire to keep fighting. The country being invaded usually has the edge there, because the fight is existential for the home country but (usually) by choice for the invading country.


I've said that numerous times, but it doesn't seem to be sinking in. Or he just doesn't grok. Either way, I'm done. He doesn't understand the situation on the ground, and probably can't be expected to by relying on a few news outlets who give the war a few minutes of coverage.

You and I are correct, and history proves it.

Also, it's Ukraine's choice to keep fighting. We aren't forcing them to do anything, which he keeps implying that we are.

Commonone could have also included that US Cyber Command was ordered to stand down operations against Russia.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna194435

https://thediplomat.com/2025/03/the-geopolitical-f...

You don’t get it. Your logic isn’t backed by history and you aren’t bothering to acknowledge even simple things. Your policy prescriptions amount to little more than virtue signaling; I’d suggest a better use of everyone’s be that you just go get a blue and yellow bumper sticker and slap it in your car. That will do about as much for the Ukrainians as anything you’re going to post.

I’ll check back on you in a few weeks to see if you’re going to do anything more than just make snide remarks.

<click>

Commonone could have also included that US Cyber Command was ordered to stand down

ChatNPC could have, but that’s propagating fake news.

"Biden did *zero* to get Putin to the table; Trump has." - Dope

Hey Dope and I agree about something!!!!! That might be a first.

We agree, Biden refused to surrender Ukraine to the Russians as long as Ukraine was willing to fight (with others help). Trump has done almost everything he can to surrender Ukraine to the Russians.

I don't know why you think this is a brag for Trump.

standdown cyber operations against russia was thrown in as bonus for putin to talk about pretend peace.

keep in mind that russia runs state-sponsored cybercriminals to steal for putin's war economy and corruption, and their fattest target is america.

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