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The price of Brent oil dropped below $100 per barrel.

The media voice the opinion of experts who predict the consequences of Russia falling into the black oil hole, which was caused by rapidly falling oil prices and China’s refusal to buy Russian oil.

As Topnews wrote earlier, earlier analysts predicted that oil would rise in price to record values, and politicians called it one of the main allies of Russia. But already on February 25, the day after the start of the special operation in Ukraine, China temporarily abandoned Russian oil.

Experts, whose opinion is cited by “MK”, report that record March prices per barrel are falling down just as rapidly. By the middle of the month, the price dropped by $30 and the fall continues.

The reason is a new wave of coronavirus in China (5,000 infected, quarantine) and known geopolitical factors. As a result, now the price per barrel is $100 (March 7, $130).

According to analysts at Morgan Stanley, China’s GDP growth in the second quarter will decline to negative values, which will lead to a drop in oil demand.

Noting that the ruble has so far been fixed at 115-120 per dollar, 120-125 per euro, but the stability was affected by emergency measures of the Central Bank, including an increase to 20% of the key rate, regulation of exchange trading and currency intervention. But in the long term, the situation may repeat the scenario of 2014: the collapse of the ruble was provoked by falling oil prices and a package of Western sanctions.

If the trend of abandoning Russian oil from the EU countries, in the likeness of the United States, continues, then Russia will lose its current advantage in the form of oil windfalls.

Referring to information from Bloomberg, Russian companies already have problems with the shipment of oil sold in the Baltic ports. According to some versions, the United States is ready to lift the moratorium on the supply of Iranian oil, which will further reduce Russian oil revenue.

According to Maxim Biryukov, senior analyst at Alfa-Capital Management Company, despite the maximum discount on the Russian Urals brand, it is bought reluctantly. And senior analyst at Esperio Anton Bykov believes that the new sanctions may lead to a decrease in the annual GDP of the Russian Federation by 1.5-2%. Retail sales may fall by 7-10%, inflation will be up to 14-16%, the unemployment rate is 6%.

Against the background of the situation on the oil market and the reduction of funds from receiving exports, half of the country’s gold and foreign exchange reserve is needed, but Russia has been deprived of access to it.

“The domestic economy will have to go through the most severe crisis in the modern history of our country,” Bykov believes.

According to him, the peak critical values may be: Russia’s GDP – a drop of 6-8%, inflation – an increase of more than 20%, retail sales – a drop of 15%, unemployment – an increase of 8-10%.

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The European Union has also imposed a ban on energy investments.

The European Union, as Topnews wrote earlier, has introduced the fourth package of sanctions against Russia.

Later, personal sanctions were also imposed on 15 individuals and 9 legal entities from Russia.

Now Roman Abramovich, Herman Khan, Viktor Rashnikov, Alexey Kuzmichev, Alexander Mikheev, Alexander Shokhin, Andrey Ryumin, Armen Gasparyan, Artem Sheinin, Dmitry Kulikov, Konstantin Ernst, Marina Sechina, Suleiman Kerimov, Tigran Khudaverdyaa and Vladimir Rashevsky are on the blacklist.

Among the legal entities in the “8220” blacklist were “8221” enterprises related to the defense industry: “Rosoboronexport”, “UralVagonZavod”, “Rosneft-Aero”, “High-precision complexes”, “Kurganmashzavod”, “Russian Helicopters”, “United Aircraft Corporation”, “United Shipbuilding Corporation”, “Zelenodolsk plant named after A.M. Gorky”.

Thus, the European Union has imposed a ban on investments in energy. The exception is nuclear power and the transportation of certain energy resources to the EU.

In addition, the import of some steel products from the Russian Federation was banned.

According to European experts, the new sanctions measures will lead to a loss of 3.3 billion euros in export revenue.

The EU has also banned the import of luxury cars over €50 thousand and motorcycles more expensive than €5 thousand.

The import of perfumes, alcohol, household appliances, clothing and other goods worth more than €300 per piece is also prohibited.

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Experts explained which products will remain on the shelves of stores.

Experts explained to the media which goods may disappear from Russian shelves in the near future.

According to Inna Golfand, partner of the business company Strategy Partners, you should not expect that food products will leave the shelves of Russian stores. If such a danger arises, their supplies will be organized from other countries, Izvestia quotes her.

However, the expert noted that there are goods in the food basket with which difficulties may arise. We are talking about fruits, of which about 40% of the total consumption of Russians is produced in the country.

Golfand, with reference to the Union of Producers, explained that “fruit” supplies will be reduced in the near future, since most of them are imported from abroad. And all the main suppliers are countries that did not support the imposition of sanctions against Russia.

There are no risks for disrupting the supply of the most common drinks, tea and coffee in the country. As the publication was assured by the association “Roschaikof”, their deliveries will continue. As for carbonated drinks, PepsiCo products, Heineken beer and a number of Czech breweries, as well as alcoholic beverages from Diageo will leave the shelves.

Dmitry Yanin, the head of the Board of the International Confederation of Consumer Societies, predicts the disappearance of the best goods in each product category, as well as a sharp increase in prices for Russian analogues.

Experts believe that supply disruptions should be expected in the electronics market, as well as fabrics and accessories.

As for the terms for which foreign manufacturers have left the Russian market, according to one of the directors of FM Logistic Alexey Misailov, for some it will last until mid-April, for others an accurate assessment is currently impossible, the expert believes.

As Topnews wrote earlier, it became known that two airlines from Kazakhstan will no longer operate flights to Russia.

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The list included more than 600 citizens of the Russian Federation.

The European Union has approved the fourth package of anti-Russian sanctions.

According to Bloomberg, tough measures are being taken against the background of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine.

The decision has not yet been officially published in the Journal of the European Union.

As French Foreign Minister Bruno le Maire noted, such a tough package of sanctions has never been adopted in the history of the European Union.

“This is a historic decision”, – he said. The words of the minister are quoted by RBC.

It is known that more than 600 citizens of the Russian Federation will be included in the sanctions list, including lobbyists and propagandists.

The sanctions impose a ban on the export of luxury goods, on transactions with some state-owned enterprises of the Russian Federation, the import of a number of steel products, access to rating agencies, investments in the energy sector, a ban on the sale of equipment, components and a number of services.

Also, 27 EU countries have expanded the list of persons who are associated with the Russian defense industry.

Prior to that, the head of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the new package of sanctions would hit the WTO trade regime.

The UK imposed a ban on the supply of luxury products to the Russian Federation.

Earlier, topNews wrote that the head of the World Bank said that sanctions against Russia had hit global GDP.

At the same time, the British Prime Minister predicted difficult times due to the rejection of Russian fuel.

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the West is facing difficult times for the sake of abandoning oil and gas from Russia.

The head of the World Bank, David Malpass, commented on the economic situation around Russia.

He said that sanctions against Russia, the withdrawal of brands from the country, the impact on a number of sectors of the economy of Europe and the United States have a negative impact not only on Russia, but also on the entire world economy.

This is reported by The Washington Post.

Malpass noted that the sanctions will also affect the entire global GDP, and this impact will be much more significant than the situation in Ukraine, the impact of which can be described as immediate short-term.

“The sanctions against Russia themselves have an even greater impact on global GDP, – said Malpass.

Recall that on the eve of the fourth package of sanctions was approved in the EU. Restrictive measures are aimed at Russian oligarchs and legal entities.

In addition, according to some reports, Europe may impose sanctions against Rosneft, Transneft and Gazprom Neft.

Sanctions may affect investments in the industry, fuel extraction and exploration of deposits.

At the same time, Europe has goods purchased from Russia, without which it cannot do. For example, this is fuel, as well as other minerals, and fertilizers.

Against this background, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the West will face difficult times due to the transition to alternative energy sources after the rejection of energy products of the Russian Federation.

“The process of weaning off Russian oil and gas, from hydrocarbons in general, will be difficult for the world. But it is possible”, – Johnson noted in an article for the Daily Telegraph.

The British Prime Minister considers it a mistake to normalize relations between the West and Moscow after the events of 2014, which resulted in an increase in energy supplies from Russia.

He is confident that by coping with dependence on Russian fuel, the West will be able to deprive the leadership of the Russian Federation of cash, destroy its strategy and give it a shortening.

Recall that due to the US oil embargo on the import of petroleum products from Russia to the EU, gasoline prices have soared to 2 euros per liter.

Earlier, topNews wrote that “United Russia” proposed to introduce criminal liability in case of compliance with anti-Russian sanctions.

Actions of this nature can be regarded as “betrayal”.

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Also, according to Psaki, US allies participated in this process.

According to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, the United States and its allies have completely crushed the Russian economy.

The official representative of the American authorities made such a statement during her briefing.

Psaki’s words are quoted by RIA Novosti.

She noted that it is necessary to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin about what the end of the game will be.

“We have completely crushed his [Vladimir Putin’s] economy, – Psaki said, noting that the United States has provided assistance to Ukraine, so the country resists much longer.“.

According to her, Vladimir Putin must determine his way forward.

Russia’s special operation in Ukraine began on February 24.

In response, the West imposed tough sanctions against Russia.

According to American President Joe Biden, the stock market of the Russian Federation is waiting for an explosion and collapse after the opening.

To this, the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov said that measures are being taken in Russia to level out the processes of the economic war launched by the West.

Earlier, topNews wrote that the United States is imposing sanctions on Dmitry Peskov’s family.

Tatiana Navka reacted to the situation.

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Local publications are sounding the alarm due to the economic crisis.

On the eve of the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, referring to the report of the country’s authorities, came to the conclusion that a humanitarian catastrophe could await Sweden.

According to the authors of the material, if a military conflict begins near the borders of the country, problems with nutrition and medical care of the population may arise.

The fact is that back in the 90s, Stockholm decided to close warehouses with food supplies, medicines and personal protective equipment that were created during the Cold War.

The premises were dismantled, and no supplies were made.

A new round in the creation of stocks was made during the coronavirus pandemic, but the events in Ukraine forced the Swedish authorities to think again about replenishing stocks.

As a result, according to journalists, Stockholm began to study the issue of food storage even before February 24, when Russia announced the beginning of a military special operation in the Donbas.

From the data announced by the National Food Agency, which was instructed to strengthen the readiness to provide citizens with food in case of war, a disappointing conclusion was made.

The document states that in the situation of a border war with Sweden, food supplies may decrease to serious proportions.

“Hunger can become a reality in Sweden,” reports IA REGNUM with reference to the Swedish media.

As Topnews previously wrote, back in December last year, a conflict conversation took place in NATO-member Sweden between representatives of the Russian and US Foreign Ministries, Sergey Lavrov and Anthony Blinken.

And later, a number of Swedish companies, including IKEA, announced their withdrawal from the Russian market.

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According to him, London is to blame for it.

Political scientist Andrey Grozin, in an interview with the media, explained what caused the suspension of flights to Russia by the Kazakh air carrier Air Astana.

Recall that on the eve of the airline announced that it was suspending its flights to Russia and would not fly over its territory.

Insurance services for commercial Russian flights are also being discontinued, which was the reason for the cancellation of flights.

The company reported that the difficulties in air communication with Russia are temporary, and work is underway to restore.

It is known that in Air Astana, founded in 2001, 51% of its shares are owned by the Kazakh side, namely the Samruk-Kazyna Fund, and 49% belong to the British company BAE Systems PLC.

In an interview with “MK” Grozin explained that London should be blamed for the situation, since all aircraft were leased from the UK. The pilots of the carrier are well-paid Western professionals.

He also recalled that Air Astana officially announced the reason for the disruption of flights to Russia – this is a change in the conditions for providing insurance, which should probably be paid by UK companies.

Even if Kazakhstan formally owns a controlling stake, it cannot actually oppose anything to the British side.

Grozin suggested that the authorities of Kazakhstan were simply confronted with the fact. It is too early to judge their real attitude, the analyst believes.

Nevertheless, there are no air carriers larger than Air Astana in the country, as well as in Central Asia. It is also too early to judge the timing of her departure, Grozin believes.

“Before the coronacrisis, Russia accounted for about 50% of its flights. If we abandon this now, then everything can collapse. There’s just nowhere to fly”, – he predicts.

Earlier, Topnews wrote that on March 2, Boeing announced the termination of maintenance of Russian aircraft.

The next day, the Russian Ministry of Transport proposed to nationalize her property.

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Online videos show queues at US gas stations.

Mass media reports that mass rallies have begun in a number of European countries against the background of rising fuel prices. All of them were a consequence of the imposition of sanctions on fuel supplies.

According to the REN TV channel, the protesters appeared at the Albanian government building.

So, people are demanding lower prices. As a result, the protest action grew into a clash with the police, who arrived to control the rally.

The situation in Italy looks no less serious, where truckers announced a big strike on March 14. Their expenses have become almost unaffordable, which is why cargo transportation companies are facing bankruptcy.  So, a full tank of ordinary cars in Italy costs 110 euros.

Videos appear on the Web showing queues at US gas stations.

In a country where the Biden administration has completely banned the import of resources from the Russian Federation, record prices for automobile fuel are recorded in the entire American history.

A record increase in fuel prices is also recorded in Europe, at the same time, Russia’s Gazprom earns three times more from price increases than in previous periods.

So, in January, the monopolist company received $9.463 billion. As the Ruposters edition clarifies with reference to the FCS data, this is 2.7 times higher than in January 2021.

For 1,000 cubic meters of gas in January, the Russian supplier took an average of $ 686, if in December $ 518. And this is despite the fact that the export volume decreased by 34.1% to 13.8 billion m3.

If compared with December figures, the physical volume of export gas fell by 14.3%, and revenue increased by 13.5%.

Earlier, Topnews wrote that German economist Daniel Stelter reported on the consequences of anti-Russian sanctions for Europe.

He explained that restrictive measures led to economic stagflation, that is, price increases with stagnation of production.

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The US President is confident that the new restrictions will increase the sanctions pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and further isolate the Russian financial system from the global economy.  

On March 11, American leader Joe Biden imposed another package of sanctions against Russia.

According to the signed decree, the export, re-export, sale or delivery, directly or indirectly, from the USA or by a natural person/legal entity of the USA, regardless of the location of dollar banknotes, to the government of the Russian Federation or to any natural person/legal entity located in Russia, are now banned.

Also, the import of seafood, alcoholic beverages, especially Russian vodka, as well as diamonds and luxury goods, including cars, expensive clothes and jewelry, from Russia to the United States were also restricted.

The export of luxury goods from the United States to Russia has also been banned.

Biden added that the signed decree will also allow to impose restrictions on investments in any sector of the Russian economy in the future.

Also, according to the head of the White House, the G7 countries will cancel the favored nation regime in trade with Russia and deprive the Russian Federation of the opportunity to borrow from the World Bank and the IMF.

US residents are also prohibited from investing in any sector of the Russian economy.

The heads of banks from the sanctions list will fall under severe sanctions, their assets will be frozen in the United States, and the heads will be banned from entering the States.

State Duma deputies who expressed support for the Russian military operation in Ukraine and the recognition of the LPR and DPR will also be sanctioned with a ban on entry to the United States.

But Russian oligarchs from the sanctions lists will be more actively confiscating assets in the United States.

It is noteworthy that earlier the White House announced the rejection of purchases of oil, gas and coal in Russia.

Earlier it became known that the EU also banned the sale and import of euro banknotes to Russia.

Any individuals and legal entities on the territory of Russia, organizations, as well as Russian government agencies, including the government and the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, were banned.

The restrictions will come into force on March 12.

Источник topnews.ru