Ben@Forest wrote: ↑2 May 2023, 3:17pmYou are taking nearly all of that information from Russian sources; multiple agencies have said that Russian information regarding its own finances and economy are unreliable. What's the evidence for the Sino-Russian bond growing stronger? The Chinese are still not arming the Russians, it looks like that what Putin was angling for and has not got. But the Chinese are happy to buy his oil at knock-down prices.Biospace wrote: ↑2 May 2023, 2:00pm For over a year I've been concerned that it's possible Western sanctions on Russia have been affecting the West more adversely than Russia.
Russian pensions, the country’s minimum wage and salaries are keeping pace with inflation better, its economy appears to be more than surviving and possibly better than those in the West. They also appear to have better control of inflation than we do.
Meanwhile, the EU purchases Russian fuel through Indian and North African intermediaries which both helps the Russian economy while further harming the West - according to highly reputable sources Morocco bought about 600,000 barrels of Russian diesel throughout 2021, which in January 2023 alone had increased to 2 million barrels with another 1.2 million barrels arriving in the country in February.
Furthermore, the bond between Russia and China appears to have been strengthened by our response.
If you mean that that Reuters, MSN and Insider are using data which comes they source from Russia, then yes of course. If there are significant doubts regarding its validity then this will usually be mentioned (it's not in Reuters' interests to put out information which they doubt and is subsequently demonstrated to be false), and how a state measures cost price inflation, for example, will always be open to debate - as it is in the UK. In general, it wouldn't be in Putin's interest to falsify economic data as this would lead to further devaluing of Russian money.
The Chinese are not arming the Russians because it's not in their national interest to do so. But the moment two nations generate more bi-lateral trade, the more relations grow. The West has imposed multiple sanctions on Russia, so it has started trading more with other nations, including China. China has also had sanctions imposed on it by the West, so it's possible we're accidentally pushing the two nations closer. This is an interesting read, https://thediplomat.com/2022/05/how-chi ... -military/
We're in a very sticky mess and am very surprised at the lack of a push for peace.