The tables have turned: it is suddenly Vladimir Putin who is in trouble, trying to hold together an exhausted war economy as the price of Urals crude crashes to US$56 a barrel – from US$77 in mid-January – and as the global economic downturn tips the whole commodity complex into a cascading bear market. The spot price of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Asia has fallen 30% over two months.

The debt clock starts ticking from today, wiping the slate clean on the US$120b in total American aid since the war began

Ukraine will be able to purchase US weapons on a quasi “lend-lease” basis. The first $50m tranche of military support was approved last night.

Also some other interesing and hood news about Ukrainian Gas:

“We could replace half the lost Russian gas exports to Europe,” said Andríy Kóbolyev, ex-head of Ukraine’s energy giant Naftogaz. If so, Russia can kiss goodbye to its European gas market forever.

And it goes on! Very good read, thank you OP!!

[–] Rose@lemmy.zip 10 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I don't see how Russia getting to keep the occupied territories is good news. The human losses are nothing to Putin. His reference point is the Soviet Union, and the greater the "heroic" sacrifice, the closer he gets to that. No economic hardship would take away from his personal wealth either. It's a net win from the territorial gains, which will enable him to try again later, irrespective of whether that's going to be Ukraine or a country next in line after regions of Moldova, Africa, Syria, Georgia, or Ukraine.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

No one, except Ukraine, can give up those territories (and legally they actually can't) so no putin will not get any territories because of this "deal".

[–] Rose@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Perhaps not legally, but does that really matter? The world hasn't recognized the annexed parts of Moldova and Georgia as Russian either, but those countries have no control over them, whereas Russians freely enter the regions and do as they please.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

Oh yes it matters a lot!

The rules based order is what we abide to, and it says "no stealing land".

Remember, Germany got back east Germany, France got back Alsace.

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The human losses are nothing to Putin. His reference point is the Soviet Union, and the greater the "heroic" sacrifice, the closer he gets to that

Russia burned through not only the last Soviet tanks and guns, but also the last Soviet people. Russia was in population crisis before the war, and this has made it massively worse.

Putin may not care about deaths, but he will care about lack of living.

[–] Rose@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 day ago

Why would he? And even if he did, his way of solving the problem would be to take further steps against abortion and to "acquire" new people by annexing more land.