The Russian barbarians were at it again over the weekend: KILLING 37 more Ukrainians civilians and INJURING dozens more … including children, their mothers, fathers and grandparents.
They were massacred as they slept in their beds … not in hand-to-hand combat or even military battle confrontations … but by Russia spreading death and destruction on the civilian population of Dnipro from the sky with missiles and rockets.
And helping Vladimir Putin build and buy those munitions, missiles, rockets are massive revenues bankrolled by China, India and other nations … now doing MORE business with Russia than before the brutal aggression against Ukraine began.
According to the BBC, Russia’s trade surplus GREW by $225 Billion between Jan 1 and the end of November, 2022!
Western sanctions so far, directed against top Russian individuals and institutions, are NOT having as much impact on Putin’s economy as we would like to think.
Just two days ago, Reuters reported China’s trade with Russia hit a RECORD $190 BILLION in 2022.
“Russia more than doubled its rail exports of liquefied petroleum gas to China in 2022 as part of the Kremlin’s drive to diversify its energy export sales, a Reuters analysis based on data from industry sources showed on Thursday.
“China’s imports of Russian natural gas through the Power of Siberia pipeline are set to have risen by at least 50% in 2022, according to Russia’s top producer, Gazprom. China’s Russian crude oil imports expanded 10% on year in the first 11 months at nearly 80 million tonnes,” Reuters revealed.
(Read the full story here: https://www.reuters.com/world/china-customs-says-trade-with-russia-hit-new-high-2022-2023-01-13/. )
Disgraceful!!
Canadians learned the hard way during the “two Michaels” hostage-taking that China is NO real partner and NO friend of decency or integrity while it is ruled by dictator Xi Jinping.
And the news that China is not just ignoring sanctions resulting from Ukraine’s suffering, but is even taking advantage of it and profiting from it DEMANDS ACTION from ALL Western nations.
China should be heavily sanctioned! CURB Chinese imports and RESTRICT exports to China! NOW!!
They would no doubt retaliate with sanctions of their own against our own exports to them, but let’s keep it real: China NEEDS the markets of the United States/UK/Europe/Canada/Australia/Japan etc. MUCH MORE than we need them.
And if we are not prepared to defend democracy by sending our own troops up against Russian aggression, we should at least willing and able to take more economic heat to aid Ukraine, which is fighting the battle for democracy for us.
And don’t forget India either.
” Russian exports (to India) accounted for about $9.5 billion in the overall bilateral trade of $13 billion in 2021-2022, Kapoor said trade grew substantially since April this year “in a large part due to much greater imports (by) India of crude oil and fertilizers,” the Hindustani Times reported last month.
“The sharp surge in trade, up from $13 billion during the fiscal year 2021-2022, is largely due to India’s increased purchases of discounted Russian commodities, especially crude and fertilisers, since the start of the Ukraine war in February. Till last year, Russia accounted for less than 1% of India’s energy supplies and two-way trade was largely driven by deals for defence hardware.”
Read that whole article here: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indiarussia-trade-up-by-27-bn-but-too-one-sided-says-indian-envoy-101671804285243.html.
India, like China, is FUNDING Russia’s manufacturing/acquisition of the weaponry, rockets and missiles that have KILLED more than 11,000 Ukrainians CIVILIANS … including more than 800 children.
That’s 11,000 CIVILIANS … including more than 800 KIDS … MURDERED by Russians!!!
While India, China not only PROFIT from the war … but are helping Russia finance, sustain and extend it.
And several other nations are also cashing in on Russia’s aggression and Western sanction pressures ..doing GROWING business/trade with Russia: Iran; Belarus; Turkey (a NATO member!); Kazakhstan; Brazil; Sri Lanka; Indonesia and, South Africa.
When Canada and other nations do “business as usual” with ANY of these countries, we betray the Ukrainian people … and our own values and principles as well.
SANCTION THEM ALL NOW!!
Otherwise, we encourage them to HELP fund Putin’s victimization of thousands more innocent Ukrainians … who will be killed or maimed by Russia’s artillery, bombs, missiles … and brutal, marauding soldiers.
We should all SPEAK UP and demand our governments do more … NOW!
Harv Oberfeld
(Follow @harveyoberfeld on Twitter for FREE First Alerts to new topics on this Blog. No spam.)