Comments by "John Adam" (@johnadam2885) on "CNBC International Live" channel.

Europe wanted to boycott Russian gas, they were demanding to speed it up. Then what is the cause for the worry now ?
229
This is what happens when the EU has to consult Ukraine and the US on what to do.
187
Goodness, this is only summer. What will be the situation in winter ? The EU wanted to hasten the reduction of Russian gas. Russia is helping them on the way. Why do they interview the PMs of less useful countries like Sweden and Latvia ? Sweden's priority was to join NATO and be an unfriendly country to Russia. Now the Swedish PM says 'we are in a difficult situation'. I thought it was Russians who were in a difficult situation. So she has realised putting money in citizens' pockets will not solve the problem of inflation. The problem is shortage of goods - which comes from shortage of energy. NATO expansion has backfired, even for the US. But the west has to continue defending their surrogate Ukraine, out of false pride. Due to that false pride, they want to expand the war to Lithuania - which is even dumber. The 'European family' which they are so proud of, is empty headed. They cut their noses to spite their faces. And they are like lemmings, committing suicide jointly because they are a family ! In all this, the west did not realise that Russia is equally capable as the west of economic warfare. The west could sanction Iran or Afghanistan, but it does not work with Russia. The Europeans set out to make sure Russia will not have money to wage war. But it looks like Europe will not have money to wage NATO expansion. And Ukraine should start realising that Europe is not in a position to continue subsidising their war, and pretty soon, all the European talk of stopping Putin from winning will not work. Ukraine will be a forgotten casualty. It would be better off outside the EU and NATO.
22
The Latvian President says war is winnable - why does not Latvia send troops to Ukraine ? 'We shall support Ukraine for as long as it takes' has become 'we shall support Ukraine for how long as we can'.
9
Ukraine is already a role model - for what happens if you follow America. Used and abandoned.
8
@swedishburrito5073 Won't be freezing in St. Petersburg for certain.
7
Puny countries like Latvia and Canada cannot exactly defeat Russia !
7
Ukraine and NATO have lost, it is too late, forget about it and move on.
6
These countries should avoid provoking Russia, otherwise they will get the kind of beating Ukraine is getting. When you live next to the great bear, don't poke it.
6
Turkish ex minister is impressive. 'Ukraine does not have luxury to be with east or west, it should have a balanced foreign policy'. I am very impressed by Turkey in this affair. Turkey is better off outside the EU because it has genuine sovereignty. It provides an anti-dote to western hysteria which had led Ukraine down the precipice. The western foreign policy is to fight Russia to the last Ukranian.
5
@PeterSweden-qw8dy Why does not Sweden send troops to Ukraine ? Putin had invited those who think they can defeat Russia to come to the battlefield and show it.
4
Russia will join the EU by then - because Ukraine will be part of Russia in 3-5 years.
4
Rifkind, should be corrected, the origin of the dispute is not 7 Oct. 2023. It started in 1948 with the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by the Jews. As for Hamas, Netanyahu funded Hamas. Ex PM Ehud Olmert says this to Tim Sebastian in an interview. If Netanyahu goes, no moderates will come to settle peace with the Palestinians. The Jews are greedy, they want to grab more land. Greed is in their blood. Rifkind is wrong that Iran is Saudi's enemy. The Chinese have negotiated and brought the Iranians and Saudis together.
3
'confront Russia & show strenth & power.' You tried, but got defeated by mighty Russia.
3
@karliskokorevics6902 'Atleast 13 members of Latvian Special Forces have already been in Ukraine along with US SOF and British SAS. Most likely to train Ukrainian SOF.' And did that change the outcome ?
2
@Nobody-eg4bi Well, why does the Swedish lady not say that Swedes are rich and can afford to pay 2x and even 5x for the prices ?
2
@luckyluke1503 Correct, but a security deal is against western pride. That was all that was needed to avert the war, but the US and NATO declined - it was against their pride as Russia had demanded it.
2
Not producing in the EU is a different problem. The problem the EU has is shortage of energy and materials - if they had those, they could produce. Before, they could get materials and energy cheaply from their colonies and the colonial guided govts. they left behind.
1
@yanntsala414 It is implicit I meant former colonies. I wrote 'Before, they could get materials and energy cheaply from their colonies...' Before means 'formerly'. The west left rulers dependent on colonial power structures. Thus, till King Faisal raised the oil prices and demanded a fair share after the Arab-Israeli war, the west was enjoying oil at a price less than water. After Faisal raised the prices, there was a transfer of goods and services to Middle East, and some of them were able to build cities and infra structure. King Faisal was assasinated soon afterwards, and no doubt there was an American hand. However, what Faisal set in motion could not be undone. The colonial power structures have remained to an extended time with the French colonies. France makes electricity with nuclear. The uranium comes from Niger - which has low electrification. France never bothered to see Niger had electricity, they just take the resources out. Europe does not have much energy and materials. Nazi Germany did not have colonies, it invaded the Soviet Union and one reason was to capture the oil fields of Baku. They needed lebensenergie even more than lebensraum. That is the situation now also. Russia is the nearest supplier of energy for Europe, and it would have been a natural win-win situation for both - it was for the last 30 years. But America did not want that, as a Euroasian economy (Europe, Russia, China and India) would leave America in the cold. America is determined on NATO expansion so Russia is forced to fight Europe, which then keeps Europe in the American camp. Europe now is forced to buy American LNG - which costs 7x piped gas. Even the former colonial powers of Europe, France and Britain, are nobody today. In Europe, Russia is the real superpower - it always had the military strength, and it has proved now it has the economic strength. Like King Faisal transformed the economic wealth distribution by raising the price of oil, Putin has set in motion steps that further undercut western dominance. This is in initiating the move away from the dollar, that is creating avenues for other nations to trade between themselves and sell or purchase oil and commodities, without using the dollar for settlements. Putin did not set out to undermine the dollar, he was forced to do it due to sanctions - like King Faisal raised the price of oil as a protest against western support of Israel. Use of other currencies reduces the demand and hence value of the dollar and with that the American war machine's capacity. The Europeans are satellites of America, including Britain, France and Germany, so as American power diminishes, the Europeans go down with it. Particularly so if they fight with Russia.
1
@yanntsala414 It is good to hear an insight directly from Africa. If you hear western reports and Zelensky, Russia is making the Africans suffer. Russia is using hunger as a tool, the west claims. They shout Russia is blackmailing the Africans, and the world..... The Europeans went to sanction Russia by freezing their money, and Russia counter sanctioned them. Others know where the blame lies. The west went to threaten Russia with NATO expansion, when Russia asked for a security guarantee in writing, they were too proud to give. They never cared a damn about Africa. The west looks down on Africa (remember Trump's comment). The Arabs and Muslim world also is not willing to go with the west - they have seen western duplicity in Iraq and Afghanistan. The real reason the west is shouting now about the blockade is not because of concern for Africans, it is because of the deficit Ukraine is piling up which needs to be funded by the EU. The Ukranian govt.has lost its industrial areas and with it the revenues generated from that region. They are left with agricultural products like wheat. That is produced but blockaded. The Ukranian govt. needs $ 5-7 billion per month for bare essentials. With wheat also blocked, there is no revenue, and it means the EU has to give more aid to Ukraine - besides paying for the arms, and hosting the refugees. The EU boasted they could wean themselves off Russian gas by end of the year, but the reality is the EU itself is facing the pinch due to the gas blockade. In Germany, they are rationing the electricity - domestic is given priority over industrial. Industry is paying 10x as much as domestic. It is peak summer now, so you can imagine in winter. The only thing the west has that is admirable is it looks after its citizens. However, when it comes to the rest of the world, they are ruthless and callous. They will invade and kill but still lecture about their superior values; that is why they are hated outside. You hear them talking about western values and its implied superiority. Ursula von Leyen said Ukraine is part of the 'European family' and so should be let into their club. She did not say 'human family'. It is clear in her mind the European family is special. Their power is slipping and you are right, they don't realise it. They got away with beating up Afghanistan and Iraq. The west always knew Russia has the military power and Europe will get beaten up if they went for war with Russia. However, they thought they could go for economic warfare with Russia because they had control of the international financial system. What has taken them aback is that Russia had the capacity for economic warfare (unlike the Soviet Union). The value of energy and materials is real, and higher than currency. The west could not bring Iran or even Afghanistan down with sanctions, but these countries could not retaliate. But with Russia, the west finds Russia can take them down economically as well.
1
@AH-fm7rj The video is indeed about inflation. It just that your solution for inflation is not a solution. You wrote : 'solution is just start to produce again here in EU. People are got lazy getting all these cheap goods from asia and now the asians don't want to sell them so cheap anymore.' Shortage of gas and energy is the prinicipal driver of inflation. The EU cannot start producing again the gas it never had, so what are you talking about ? And as Yaan said, if you cut supply of an essential commodity like energy, the price of everything goes up, and if you try stimulus, that drives up inflation as the Swedish PM explained, because there is a shortage of that commodity and you have too much money chasing too few goods. Your analysis is wonky. You want to offer solutions without understanding what is be being discussed in the video and then argue you are right with someone who understands what is being discussed.
1
I agree the fellow is blustering. It is typical western false pride. When the EU's energy costs go through the roof, German goods will be uncompetitive; and Germany will not be able to subsidise all the unproductive, militant anti-Russians in the EU like Lithuania and Poland. China knows the Americans and Europeans are Sinophobic, it will come out sooner or later. The Chinese may export twice the amount to EU but it has to gain more by pushing the yuan as a currency to replace partially the dollar. This is the best opportunity for the yuan as Russia cannot use the euro or dollar, but it can sell oil and gas with yuans. The gain by China if its currency's use expands is worth more than 500 million surplus with the EU. Hence, it would be foolish to boycott Russia to please the EU.
1
@obriets The one who created a coup in Ukraine in 2014 and enabled Nazi groups like Right Sector and Azov Batallion, has created the crimes against humanity, so it could peddle its arms to NATO. It is the US.
1
They present a 'united front' that is hollow. The west is being suicidal - they are getting a beating from Russia, and they want to fight China also.
1
Russians don't disclose their hand completely. Keeps their enemies guessing ! The conclusion of the analyst is Russia will be the loser - as if Europe will be the winner, as if other sources of cheap energy are round the corner. Westerners are trying to put on a brave face to cover their folly of NATO expansion.
1
@bertbarnhoorn The goals of the Ramstein group of 47 states has not changed. But it got defeated by Russia. They do not have the money or the arms to continue. Do you grasp that ?
1
@wolfgangwiesinger9502 Latvia is in NATO , so what ? NATO is a collection of weaklings.
1
It is obvious to all outside Europe that Russia has the strong cards. Europeans are conceited and as you say, they think the world revolves around them, and they lay the rules which they can flout, but they expect others to follow their diktats. Europe is dependent on energy and raw materials. Russia is the nearest source. Earlier, they could rip off their colonies. If Germany has to endure hardship, you will see their Nazis will be out, as in Ukraine.
1
@millennium677 Dumbo, their electricity is largely generated with gas.
1
This is another NATO joker. He will not admit NATO's mistakes in expanding NATO. He seeks consolation to say Putin is a loser due to upcoming NATO expansion in Finland. He admits he underestimated Putin's resolve, only to the extent that the west was under prepared for Putin taking action in Ukraine. There is no admission that expanding NATO eastwards and threatening Russia was wrong and that is the cause in the first place. Due to NATO's attempted expansion to Ukraine, Putin has damaged Europe severely. Europe has to now absorb refugees; it faces an energy and economic squeeze; it requires a hike in defence expenditure; Europe is even more of a pawn in America's hands; Putin has set in motion a non-dollar based international trade system which undermines western power; and the nuclear sword hangs over Europe and the US due to the Kinzhal and other hypersonic missiles which cannot be stopped by NATO's missile protection system. All these negatives for the west far outweigh any advantage from Finland joining. The way western officials like this NATO chief talk gives the impression Russia gave an unexpected punch to their innocent faces, they are burning with anger, but dare not fight with Russia directly because their collective cowardice is overwhelming . So they are looking to save face and say NATO is in a strong position due to Finland, and Russia lost ! On his claim that NATO is strong, we only saw abysmal cowardice from the way it exited from Kabul. NATO has not shown anywhere it can take massive casualties and win. In any case, NATO would not dare enter into a direct war with Russia as that would be MAD.
1
@angelg3986 EU and NATO's political decision is motivated by false pride.
1
'We shall support Ukraine for as long as it takes' has become 'we shall support Ukraine for how long as we can'. Ukraine is abandoned. The collective west provoked Russia and has lost.
1
Russia will be the loser ? You are saying that because you feel humiliated. Russia has both Ukraine and the EU by the scruff of the neck.
1
Zelensky is begging the west to send more lethal arms, planes, tanks the whole lot. Also, the west is propagating Ukraine is winning, so they are sending lethal arms, then the carnage will not end. For the west, Ukraine is a useful proxy to put down Russia, so they will seek for the war to continue. If the victor is Zelensky and Ukraine, what is the talk in this video about a security guarantee ? Why does the victor need a security guarantee ?
1
You are absolutely right. For the last 30 years, the US and EU created Islamophobia as the threat to their world order, and they beat up small Muslim countries. Samuel Huntingdon wrote an infamous book called Clash of Civilisations and Muslims and Chinese were identified as the main threats. After 30 years, Biden withdrew from Kabul which was a defeat, and the reason he gave his critics was he needed to concentrate on the real threat, China. Islamophobia is over as Muslims were yesterday's threat, and the pressing one now is China. Then Russia got in the way unexpectedly ! It retaliated against NATO expansion. And now the west is drowning in their Russophobia. Russia has made them mad. But Sinophobia is lying under it, so China needs to take action now.
1
@Nobody-eg4bi I was puzzled by your comment about Swedes willing to pay 3-5x for gas, I did not realise that was sarcasm !
1
First time I have seen a realistic assessment in the west of the reality that Russia is prevailing and we were fed hyped stories of Ukranian achievements. The west is emotional, not intelligent.
1