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EU: Energy collapse is imminent, food issues to follow
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  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    The world's largest chemical plant in Germany may "fly into the pipe" - the BASF concern warned of a catastrophe in the event of a Russian gas supply cut.

    According to the German Frankfurter Allgemeine, if deliveries are reduced by at least half, the concern will be forced to completely stop the work of its plant in Ludwigshafen. And he, for a moment, is the largest chemical plant in the world, where 40 thousand people work.

    “In the event of a decrease in gas supplies, all employees will lose their jobs. If the lack of Russian gas is not compensated, then catastrophic consequences await the entire German chemical industry,” warned Michael Vassiliadis, a member of the BASF Supervisory Board, stating in passing “Germany’s lack of the ability to replace Russian gas.”

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Spain proposes to introduce restrictions on the sale of products due huge shortage of food.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Dmitry Medvedev noted that Russia is the largest grain producer, along with India and China. According to him, the food security of many countries depends on supplies from Russia.

    “We will supply food and crops only to our friends (fortunately, we have a lot of them, and they are not at all in Europe and not in North America). We will sell both for rubles and for their national currency in agreed proportions,” said the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    German Finance Minister Lindner said that the Germans will become poorer at least because of the expensive imports of oil and gas. At the end of March, inflation in Germany rose from 2.5% to a record 7.3%.

    “Even the state will not be able to stop this decline in the level of well-being. But you can mitigate the worst shocks, and that's what we're doing,” Lindner said. The state, of course, promised to support the needy and enterprises whose work is under threat, but at the same time warned about the nature of finances to end.

    “In the long term, new foundations for well-being need to be laid,” Lindner said.

    The German press, in turn, reports that Berlin has begun to act according to an emergency plan in case Russian gas supplies are cut off. It provides for three stages, while the first is involved, which involves monitoring the situation - a crisis headquarters is being created in Germany.

  • RoadsidePicnicRoadsidePicnic

    A new round of the socialization of the losses of the rich :)

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @RoadsidePicnic

    If you think a little - basic production costs did not change much, as well as real salaries.

    But products and food costs soared - it mean that rich are getting richer fast.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    In Germany, food retailers have announced that they will increase prices by 20-50% from April 4 - German Retail Association

    Several major supermarket chains confirmed to Focus magazine reports regarding the situation with "limited supply from manufacturers caused by a combination of reasons, followed by anti-Russian sanctions."

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Germans are snapping up wood and coal, despite the arrival of Spring, with an eye on climbing gas prices and uncertainties about the effects of a prolonged war in Ukraine.

    Germany on Wednesday declared an "early warning" of a possible gas supply emergency, a sign of concern about possible disruption or stoppage of natural gas flows from Russia.

    "Our phones are ringing off the hook," said Erik Passow, who builds furnaces and fireplaces, adding that supply shortages were also making it difficult to keep up with orders. "People want security, because freezing isn't fun."

    Despite stable gas supplies, consumers and companies have been advised to reduce their energy consumption, with Economy Minister Robert Habeck saying "every kilowatt-hour counts".

    Susanne Gasden is one of the people who has ordered wood for next winter, even though she has electric heating in her home.

    "I have a stove in every room, and if for some reason the gas is suddenly turned off or we have an energy shortage, at least I have the ability to remain self-sufficient," she said. "It's a bit of saving for a rainy day."

    Fuel dealer Richard Koegler said people were still stocking up on coal and wood even as cold weather was on the way out, adding that even before the war in Ukraine supplies had been tight.

    "They don't order because gas has become so expensive, they order because they're worried they won't get anything at all."

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    U.S. farmers are beginning to complain louder and louder about the shortage of fertilizers. The other day, the White House urgently excluded the import of Russian fertilizers from sanctions. Supply from Russia accounts for 6% of potassium carbonate, 13% of urea and 20% of diammonium phosphate in the US market.

    Over the past year, fertilizer prices in America have jumped 2.3 times - and only since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis by 43%, reaching a historical maximum. In addition, prices for other farm expenses, such as the purchase of diesel, tractors and parts, animal feed, herbicide and seeds, have risen significantly.

    A new planting season is underway, and American farmers are already preparing to plant two million acres (800,000 hectares) less of their crops. The liberated land will be planted with soybeans - which require much less fertilizer compared to wheat or corn. Farmers are afraid that bad weather could lead to poor harvests.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Prices on the world market for grain beat ten-year records, in Italy 11% of agricultural enterprises are preparing to close

    Prices for soft and durum wheat, as well as corn, remain at one of the highest levels, perhaps in the last few decades, according to Italian farmer Schiavone. The increase in food prices is associated with a special operation, since the main grain exporters to Europe, Russia and Ukraine, are participating in it. These countries account for more than a third of the world's grain exports.

    The European Union is a dubious savior in this situation: Canada cut supplies to Italy by half last year because of the drought. To make matters worse, Italy will also have to reduce its durum wheat production due to a lack of synthetic fertilizers imported from Russia (prices have already risen by 200%). In such conditions, about 100 thousand agricultural enterprises in Italy may close.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    The EU is expected to deliver another shock to its agricultural sector by capping Russian imports of potash, a crucial ingredient for growing food, according to Bloomberg, citing a Dow Jones report.

    The European Commission is expected to imminently unveil broad new sanctions on Russia. Much of the fertilizer is purchased from Belarus; the landlocked country in Eastern Europe could also be slapped with new sanctions for its involvement in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

    Potash is a key ingredient for agricultural fertilizers. Europe produces only a negligible amount of the fertilizer, and to potentially cap imports from Russia and or Belarus (top producers) seems idiotic for Europe as the spring planting season is only beginning.

    EU elites seems to be preparing genocide of their citizens.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Electricity suppliers in Germany are forced to follow market prices and gradually raise the cost of resources, which are becoming more expensive every day due to the stubborn refusal of European countries to export raw materials from Russia on the terms of the Russian Federation. According to official German calculations, the owner of a German household with a consumption of 5,000 kWh will pay 2,098 euros per year for electricity after the price hike. In March, the average check amounted to 1509, which is 39% less than the calculated amount.

    With gas, the situation is even more complicated. The growth of prices for blue fuel is predicted up to 59%. Thus, a family with a consumption of 20,000 kWh will pay 904 euros more per year (total 1506 euros per year). As a result, it turns out that the average bill for electricity and gas from a German family will be 3,604 euros per year.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    The European Union is working on a phase-out of Russian oil imports, The New York Times (NYT) reports, citing unnamed European diplomats and officials.

    "The union is now moving in the direction of a phased ban that would allow time for Germany and other countries to negotiate with alternative suppliers," the newspaper writes.

    The NYT recalls that the EU took a similar approach when imposing a ban on Russian coal, allocating four months for a transition period. The EU Council reported that the embargo on coal supplies from the Russian Federation to the EU, provided for by the fifth package of sanctions, will come into force from August 2022.

    It'll be huge pain for normal people.

  • RoadsidePicnicRoadsidePicnic

    Italy PM sees way around russian gas by bringing back the partitioning of africa and neocolonialism. He just forget china already there.

    https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-gas-energy-europe-dependence-diversification-possible-feasible-mario-draghi-ukraine-war/

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Sales of difficult-to-produce new cars in the European Union plummeted in March due to semiconductor shortages and the conflict in Ukraine, the European Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said on Wednesday.

    In total, 844,187 vehicles were sold in March 2022, which is 20.5% less than in March 2021 and almost a third less than in 2019. This is the lowest sales volume for the month of March since the beginning of the statistical series in 1990, with the exception of the exceptional case of 2020, which paralyzed the economy at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The closure of Ukrainian factories has exacerbated the shortage of electronic components and delivery problems that have plagued the automotive industry since the spring of 2021. Ukraine, in particular, is the main European supplier of wiring harnesses, parts that are called the “nervous system” of cars.

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