Putin Gobsmacks Obama and Euro-Leaders with Surprise Natural Gas Deal

Well Folks, while all our Brain Trust over at The State Dept, Pentagon and White House were Dreaming of Wars in Foreign Lands. Our "Great Satan", Vlad The Impaler was off doing some of his Capitalistic Mischief. Namely doing Mega Gas Deals with some of our Nato Allies.

So, what's a Prez and Congress to do? Has he crossed The Line this time? Or, are they going to Moan and Whine on The News Talk Programs about this and that and The Insane Reactions we should pursue?

Anyhew, Guys and Gals, Waddya Think? Have our fearless leaders been blindsided again? Or is this A Ploy on their part to lure Old Vlad into one of their Evil Traps?

Mods, I have placed this in Political Issues, Please feel free to move this at your discretion.

Thanks Folks for giving this a lookee See and All Replies and Comments are Most Welcome! Peace N Stuff Y"'All Arjunanda.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin clinched a groundbreaking deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that will strengthen economic ties between the two nations and make Turkey the major hub for Russian gas in the region. Under the terms of the agreement, Russia will pump additional natural gas to locations in central Turkey and to a “hub at the Turkish-Greek border” which will eventually provide Putin with backdoor access to the lucrative EU market, although Turkey will serve as the critical intermediary. The move creates a de facto Russo-Turkey alliance that could shift the regional balance of power decisively in Moscow’s favor, thus creating another formidable hurtle for Washington’s “pivot to Asia” strategy. While the media is characterizing the change in plans (Putin has abandoned the South Stream pipeline project that would have transported gas to southern Europe) as a “diplomatic defeat” for Russia, the opposite appears to be the case. Putin has once again outmaneuvered the US on both the energy and geopolitical fronts adding to his long list of policy triumphs. Here’s a brief summary from Andrew Korybko at Sputnik News:


“Russia has abandoned the troubled South Stream project and will now be building its replacement with Turkey. This monumental decision signals that Ankara has made its choice to reject Euro-Atlanticsm and embrace Eurasian integration.

In what may possibly be the biggest move towards multipolarity thus far,..Turkey, has done away with its former Euro-Atlantic ambitions. A year ago, none of this would have been foreseeable, but the absolute failure of the US’ Mideast policy and the EU’s energy one made this stunning reversal possible in under a year. Turkey is still anticipated to have some privileged relations with the West, but the entire nature of the relationship has forever changed as the country officially engages in pragmatic multipolarity.

Turkey’s leadership made a major move by sealing such a colossal deal with Russia in such a sensitive political environment, and the old friendship can never be restored…The reverberations are truly global.” (“Cold Turkey: Ankara Buckles Against Western Pressure, Turns to Russia”, Sputnik News)

Korybko seems to be alone in grasping the magnitude of what happened in Ankara on Monday, although –judging by the Obama administration’s silence on the topic–the gravity of the transaction is beginning to sink in. Grandmaster Vlad’s latest move has caught US powerbrokers flat-footed and left them speechless. This is a scenario that no one had anticipated and, if it’s not handled correctly, could turn out to be a real nightmare. Here’s more on Monday’s press conference from Russia Today:

“Putin said that Russia is ready to build a new pipeline to meet Turkey’s growing gas demand, which may include a special hub on the Turkish-Greek border for customers in southern Europe.

For now, the supply of Russian gas to Turkey will be raised by 3 billion cubic meters via the already operating Blue Stream pipeline…Moscow will also reduce the gas price for Turkish customers by 6 percent from January 1, 2015, Putin said.

“We are ready to further reduce gas prices along with the implementation of our joint large-scale projects,” he added.” (“Putin: Russia forced to withdraw from S. Stream project due to EU stance”, RT)

How can this happen? How can Putin waltz into Ankara, scribble his name on a few sheets of paper, and abscond with a key US ally right under Washington’s nose? Isn’t there anyone at the White House who’s smart enough to anticipate a scenario like this or have they all been replaced with warmongering ding-dongs like Susan Rice and Samantha Powers?

The Obama administration has been doing everything in its power to control the flow of gas from east to west and to undermine Russian-EU economic integration. Now it looks like the nimble Putin has found a way to avoid the economic sanctions, (Turkey rejected sanctions on Russia) avoid US coercion and blackmail (which was used on Bulgaria, Hungary, and Serbia), and avoid Washington’s endless belligerence and hostility, and achieve his objectives at the same time. But– then again– isn’t that what you’d expect from a level-headed martial arts pro like Putin?

“I won’t beat you,” says Bad Vlad. “I’ll let you to beat yourself.”

And, so he has. Just ask the befuddled Obama who has yet to prevail in any of his encounters with Putin.

But why the silence? Why hasn’t the White House issued a statement about the big Russian-Turkey gas deal that everyone’s talking about?

I’ll tell you why. It’s because they don’t know what the hell just hit them, that’s why. They were completely blindsided by the announcement and can’t quite figure out what it means for the issues that are on the very top of their foreign policy agenda, like the pivot to Asia, or the wars in Syria and Ukraine, or the much-ballyhooed gas pipeline from Qatar to the EU, that was supposed to transit– you guessed it– Turkey. Is that plan still in the works or has the Putin-Erdogan alliance put the kibosh on that gem too? Let’s face it, Putin has really knocked it out of the park this time. Team Obama is clearly out of its league and has no idea of what’s going on. If Turkey turns eastward and joins the growing Russian bloc, US policymakers are going to have to scrap the better part of their strategic plans for the coming century and go back to Square 1. What a headache.

There’s a good article in Wednesday’s New York Times that summarizes Washington’s ambivalence towards South Stream perfectly. Here’s an excerpt:

“Moscow has long presented the project, proposed in 2007, as making good business sense because it would provide a new route for Russian gas to reach Europe. Washington and Brussels have opposed the project on the grounds that it was a vehicle for cementing Russian influence over southern Europe and for bypassing Ukraine, whose price disputes with Gazprom twice interrupted supplies to Europe in recent years.”

Putin’s Surprise Call to Scrap South Stream Gas Pipeline Leaves Europe Reeling”, New York Times)

This has been the argument from the get-go, that selling gas to people in the EU somehow strengthens Putin’s maniacal grip on the continent. What a joke. Would you, dear reader, be willing turn off the heat, tear up your energy bill, and freeze to death in the dark to prove to your gas company that you’re not willing to capitulate to their tyrannical rule?

www.marketoracle.co.uk...

This is devastating news for the Qatar/Saudi natural gas plan.

It's also devastating for the Iran-Iraq-Syria proposed pipeline to Turkey-Europe.

If this deal comes to bear fruit, maybe some of the hostilities might end.

Depends who has other issues.

Russia wants a pipeline direct to Europe that doesn't go through Ukraine or Georgia. I'm not sure if this new one to Turkey meets those requirements?

The Russians are absolutely desperate for currency, given that their entire budget plan for 2015 has oil pegged at $100 a barrel. They're desperate to make up a shortfall of nearly 40% in their budget, and desperate to make up for the losses that have been fueled by the US-EU embargo of goods.

Right now, Russia will pretty much do ANYTHING that will earn them foreign currency, and that makes them very, very, very dangerous.

Well, If this deal ends hostilities, that's Good Enough for me! Good Reply Xuenchen and A Star! reply to: xuenchen

Yep Babybuns, We are too, A Big Part of our Fracking Play was going to be selling LNG to Europe. It looks like he might just have pit The Kibosh on that for us. Good Reply and A Star! Arjunanda. a reply to: babybunnies

Interesting....however, Erdogan will be the one gob-smacked...nice effort tho, Vlad the Mad....stay tuned on this one, folks.

I Like Your Thinking AreIKiddingme, It's kind of like a Game of Rats A** Poker, You really don't care which side loses. Especially now the Turks are turning against us. eg. Their support of ISIS, Embassy N'All in Ankara. a reply to: AreUKiddingMe

The US doesn't like it when Russia or any other country for that matter finds a way to make money with energy unless they are in on the deal. And if the US was not to busy trying to force other countries to play by their rules things could work out for everyone. But when you have people in control that are corrupt and greedy you get a war started that the citizens of any country doesn't want. ...

a reply to: babybunnies

Isnt putin exchanging all his dollars for physical gold as soon as he can tho? Hes supposed to be setting up his old gold backed currency i read.. from a thread on this forum actually

Some conspiracies come to mind.

What about Turkey and NATO?

What about sabotage?

What happens IF fighting "accidentally" spills over from Syria into Turkey?

False Flags all over the place.

Economic jealousy is a strong thing.

I can only agree with you on that xuenchen, It stinks all over... a reply to: xuenchen

a reply to: xuenchen

Erdogan already has asked if he could join the by Russia and China led Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Caspian Sea gas now also blocked by Erdogan.

And the gas is going to be paid in local currency.

The perfect set up for WW3 is taking place now.

a reply to: BornAgainAlien

Who is it? Russia and China, Turkey and NK?

Paranoid much?

It's just a gas pipeline to Turkey, where else can they get it from? The rest of Europe gets it from Vlad too.

a reply to: TheCrowMan

Take the time to read my post here and it`s links, and you grasp my post...

Link

Man is that disturbing - its like a global game of thrones episode.

Russia showing up the US time and time again, having balls to invade Ukraine and destroying the MH17 allegations... not to mention saying if the US showed their evidence Assad used chemical weapons, they would depose him themselves.

Turkey, second biggest force in nato, being caught on tape planning a false flag in Syria. Erdogan announces women arent equal to men. Siding with Russia on a pipeline.

Reminds me of what a religious person once told me, that Russia and Turkey would ally to start WWIII. I think some power players are trying to fulfill their own prophecy now!

Seems like the race to the bottom is on... For many reasons. I wonder how it will end

If I were Russia I wouldnt trust that guy in Turkey.

Also wonder how the kurds will react once the Islamic state is under some degree of control... I am certain they haven't forgotten the bombings of kurdish territory that violated the truce...

Well played, Putin!

Turkey is very important European frontier and Putin knows what he's doing. EU has been screwing with Turkey for almost 10 years now (Turkey wants to join EU). Turkey made everything that was asked from them and more if you compare them to every EU member state, but EU still doesn't allow them to join mainly because not every member of EU agrees with it (because Turkey would be the first Muslim country in the EU). Even though EU would benefit from Turkey in EU; even though Turkey did more than EU asked from them, they cannot join the EU (and that's a shame).

And here comes Putin: Russia is building nuclear reactors in Turkey, Russia will build pipeline to Turkey. And Turkey will become energy hub with oil and gas flowing through it to Europe from every direction. Since Turkey is not EU member, EU will only try to pressure them to stop these projects, but as always they won't give nothing in return to them. These will only strengthen anti-EU sentiment in Turkey and Russia gets strong ally.

EU can only screw with Turkey for so long and Putin knows it. Well played!

Russia just signed a gas deal with the NATO backed regime in Kiev too. Just as wacky as the Americans, the Russians can multi-task, trading and fighting at once with the same government.

You know what they say, "The bidness of Russia is bidness."

originally posted by: TheCrowMan
a reply to: BornAgainAlien

Who is it? Russia and China, Turkey and NK?

Paranoid much?

It's just a gas pipeline to Turkey, where else can they get it from? The rest of Europe gets it from Vlad too.

It's not about paranoia. What he says is actually true.
Turkeys place in the western alliance is being eroded..In the not too distant future they won't be part of NATO.

It's just one of the pieces of the game board being positioned.

Several things have exploded at once...others are slowly burning and heating up.

We will see ww3, within the next 10 years.