Putin is within weeks of complete control of all ME oil.

This IS speculation. It could be the plan all along or an option 'backed into'.

Consider, with S400s and the indication of 150,000 troops in Syria shortly, Putin is in a position to arbitrarily shut down all oil shipments out of the ME.

The SAMs cover from Turkey to Israel and with enough of them as the soon increasing troop levels, Putin can control all exports from the ME.

Without firing a single shot.

I've held the view that a significant war would kick up the oil prices and help float the expense....even profit from that fracas. I never considered this option that seems to be developing. Outright control of all ME oil.

Of course, he allows Iran to continue delivering the contracted oil to China and the contracted prices, thereby keeping China happy.

The U.S., with Obama as President and largely self-sufficient in oil probably doesn't back NATO in a war with Russia.( Or, at best, A small role?)

Does Europe even move against Russia without U.S. backing? Doubtful. After all, Europe, and indirectly the U.S. has been appeasing the Saudis for decades.

Putin offers to continue oil supplies to Europe as an alternative to war for certain 'concessions'.

Far fetched? Perhaps. Consider, however, how far out on a limb Putin is politically and financially. There is no apparent recovery for Russia's economy under the current situation, never mind the vastly increased cost of his ME actions.

The man isn't suicidal and quite bright.

This could save him politically and solve Russian financial woes.

Meanwhile the U.S. unfreezes exports of crude from the U.S. which appeases the oil companies and drives up local prices again all 'to do our share' to help the euros....again.

Major war against an entrenched Putin in the heart of the MR probably destroys the oil infrastructure so conveniently avoided so far....

Can he grab it all without firing a shot??

Edit, Almost forgot, he offers the Islamic world a caliphate and shared revenues with military protection.....

Consider, with S400s and the indication of 150,000 troops in Syria shortly, Putin is in a position to arbitrarily shut down all oil shipments out of the ME.

Have you ever heard of this thing called the Suez canal? most of oil from middle east goes thru it to Europe, not Syria so i see your analysis completely off

a reply to: nwtrucker

Perhaps, there is some logic to what you speak going on here.

I do however disagree with you on one point... it is not Putin who offers the Islamic world the caliphate, it is NATO along with Saudi who have been utilizing the notion of an Islamic Caliphate, funding Mujahadeen, Al Qaeda, ISIS, Muslim Brotherhood etc, toppling any government who stands in the way of the New American Century, code for Greater Israel.

One can only hope Putin is successful, it brings some balance to the crazy ambitions of the elite of the west.

Scratch all that, simply my tin foil notions, we are actually trying to bring democracy to the world, thats it, that is what I am supposed to think!

a reply to: nwtrucker

Can he grab it all without firing a shot?? 

No. He (Putin ) just wants to keep his piece of the middle east. He's already accused the US of being greedy.

originally posted by: elementalgrove
a reply to: nwtrucker

Perhaps, there is some logic to what you speak going on here.

I do however disagree with you on one point... it is not Putin who offers the Islamic world the caliphate, it is NATO along with Saudi who have been utilizing the notion of an Islamic Caliphate, funding Mujahadeen, Al Qaeda, ISIS, Muslim Brotherhood etc, toppling any government who stands in the way of the New American Century, code for Greater Israel.

One can only hope Putin is successful, it brings some balance to the crazy ambitions of the elite of the west.

I'd question the west having that motivation on many levels. First is all these groups supported by outside interests keeps the region fractured. This has been the intent since the break-up of the ottoman Empire, the creation of Israel- to counter Islamic control of the Canal- a caliphate empowers that body to far better control oil prices, the canal, etc.

Also, the West doesn't benefit from hugely increased oil prices. Putin benefits from both and, from what I can see, a much more pressing motivation for such an act...Just speculation, of course.

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: nwtrucker

Can he grab it all without firing a shot?? 

No. He (Putin ) just wants to keep his piece of the middle east. He's already accused the US of being greedy.

Are you sure about that? I'm not.

Unless Putin has a huge rabbit up his sleeve, he has financially finished Russia off. There has to be an end game where he recovers Russia's finances or his own mob will take him down. The man isn't some altruistic angel. He's KGB.

a reply to: nwtrucker

Oil prices are killing Russia, they need 110 per barrel and anything below that will hurt them.

a reply to: Xtrozero

Exactly....

originally posted by: Indigent

Consider, with S400s and the indication of 150,000 troops in Syria shortly, Putin is in a position to arbitrarily shut down all oil shipments out of the ME.

Have you ever heard of this thing called the Suez canal? most of oil from middle east goes thru it to Europe, not Syria so i see your analysis completely off

Really? A few well placed conventional cruise missiles shuts the canal down indefinitely...if needed.

a reply to: nwtrucker

Like the ones that can be fired from any ship or sub, so there is no need of Russia controlling Syria for it, so again your analysis is off?

a reply to: Indigent

I see it as an 'option' rather than an analysis. But, yes, anyone can including Russia.

The problem being Russia still needs to sell their oil. There IS a surplus at this time. There is no guarantee that act alone would be sufficient to drive up prices and NOT cause a world-wide back-lash on Russia's oil. If they control most, if not all of the ME oil supply AND theirs, is there not a better chance they can control those prices?

It see it as a temptation. I see Russia in dire financial straits. I do not see any viable solution for Russia.

A temptation to be squelched ASAP, IMO.....

originally posted by: Xtrozero
a reply to: nwtrucker

Oil prices are killing Russia, they need 110 per barrel and anything below that will hurt them.

That's what I was trying to tell people who think the sauds were undercutting us business by over selling their oil..
It was against Russia.

In any case US is now the largest exporter of fuels.
Russia and Saudi Arabia are not.

Canada is the single largest supplier of oil to the US.

Actually funny thought. The only major country's that could sustain WW3 with the middle east being cut off are basically US and Russia.

US is trying to dismantle Russia piece by piece Dollar by Dollar.. And it's working.. Problem is it puts Russia in mode of either do something crazy or watch it's power decline day by day.

This is one effed up game of chicken.

I'm legitimately worried.

originally posted by: Reverbs

originally posted by: Xtrozero
a reply to: nwtrucker

Oil prices are killing Russia, they need 110 per barrel and anything below that will hurt them.

That's what I was trying to tell people who think the sauds were undercutting us business by over selling their oil..
It was against Russia.

In any case US is now the largest exporter of fuels.
Russia and Saudi Arabia are not.

Actually funny thought. The only major country's that could sustain WW3 with the middle east being cut off are basically US and Russia.

US is trying to dismantle Russia piece by piece Dollar by Dollar.. And it's working.. Problem is it puts Russia in mode of either do something crazy or watch it's power decline day by day.

This is one effed up game of chicken.

I'm legitimately worried.

That's why this speculation on my part. There's probably plenty of holes in it. It was a five minute creation...LOL

a reply to: Reverbs

Well Russia have already paid for all of that military hardware. Why not use it to protect their interests?

It would be dumb not to...

For some reason I don't think that Russia is in that bad of shape that they would need to do what the op suggests .From what I have read and understood Russia's price for profits starts somewhere around the $40 a barrel . They do have lots of natural gas they export and that demand keeps growing . .... 2 items I want to drop off has to deal with a rather large chunk of money dew to Russia by Ukraine this month . How that will be worked out is yet to be seen ...But on the Ukraine situation because that is the elephant in the room in how this might go ...

The International Monetary Fund has decided to delay fresh loan payments of $3.4 billion to Ukraine. In the meantime the World Bank has given the Deposit Guarantee Fund in Kiev $500 million to keep the leading Ukrainian banks solvent. The two international agencies have also agreed to the seizure of $174 million in funds held in a Kiev bank by the London-listed iron-ore miner, Ferrexpo. The state raid on Ferrexpo’s corporate account in Finance & Credit Bank, one of the top-10 Ukrainian banks in asset value, is the first cash confiscation from a Ukrainian oligarch for the benefit of the Ukrainian reform programme.

johnhelmer.net...

Back a few months Micheal Hudson talked about this and he seems to have gotten it correct ... I guess it's about who you listen to in the end and what you take away from it ...

This episode of Crosstalk looks at the numbers of the Russian economy and looks at where their economy is headed

Russia close to controlling a lot of me oil. All of the worlds terrorism from 9/11 to San Bernardio to Boko Haram and Isis comes from Saudi Arabia. tell me again we shouldn't invest in more renewable energy in the US?

a reply to: the2ofusr1

I hope your right.....

originally posted by: Reverbs


US is trying to dismantle Russia piece by piece Dollar by Dollar.. And it's working.. Problem is it puts Russia in mode of either do something crazy or watch it's power decline day by day.

This is one effed up game of chicken.

I did a post about a year ago that basically said the US is driving oil prices down to go after a few countries. The rest of the world really needs higher prices when you look at Russia needs 110, Venezuela needs 140, even Canada needs 90. We have so much oil now in America we basically can go 100% independent that even fracking only needs 80 per barrel, so right now we are sitting on a lot of oil and buying it at 45 per barrel from over seas. It is a super win for us, but the Canadian dollar is taking a big hit. Venezuela is basically done for with hyperinflation, but Russia has gas, but man they took a 50% hit to even break even in cost.

a reply to: nwtrucker

Think you are on to something here. Putin needs to get control of oil and gas. He is doing a fine job by backing the secular government in Syria at their request for help against terror, plus defending Christians and other minorities who are under threat from terrorists supplied by the NATO nations. It's all about the oil and the price on the international exchange. Russia is THE biggest country on planet Earth by an absolute massive mile and has resources that require price stimulation. Take out the ME and it can dictate these prices like the USA did with the Arabs in the 80's by bringing down the USSR. Putin is obviously not stupid, he is trying to put Russia back on the map as a world power after idiots destroyed Russia during the 90's and let's be honest................... Putin has done a fantastic job. Russia is in control of much of the former USSR again bar the Nazi loving west Ukraine and Baltics.

a reply to: Xtrozero

I did a post about a year ago that basically said the US is driving oil prices down to go after a few countries.

Russia should have stayed out of Ukraine...the US plays dirty and know to go for where it hurts, the good old pocketbook.