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Russia kicked out of the World Cup, and UEFA cancelled their 40 million Euro sponsorship deal with Gazprom

You did complain here about Biden and Macron.  I'm asking that such posts be limited in the interest of discussing the topic, not political personalities and what you think of them.  If you want to post what Biden or Macron DID, related to this, fine, just limit the OPINIONS.

There was no opinion there. 

MbS does not like Biden. This is matter of open record. Biden refuses to acknowledge him or talk to him still. This is also open record. 

I never said anything about Macron other than what was reported- that he was sent to speak with MbS about Saudis ramping up oil production and MbS essentially told him to f**k off, we’re not increasing shit.

Putin basically did the same thing and publicly said something of the lines that Macron has no power and is not in position to negotiate- ie meaning US/Biden is who holds the power and that’s who he’ll negotiate with. 

Saudis ramping production and making opec (which they largely control) do the same would be the only thing to cool oil prices down if they start skyrocketing bc of this mess. They’ve already said no, we’re not doing it. Pound sand. And it’s largely bc MbS is trying to put the screws to Biden, whom he hates.

man the hits just keep coming. Putin badly miscalculated.

Banned by the IOC next?

IOC is currently "urging" the various international sporting bodies to exclude Russian and Belarussian athletes from international competitions.  I don't know if there's much actual "Olympic" international sporting activity going on with the winter games just past and the summer games a couple years away, but there are many other international events that occur throughout the year.

man the hits just keep coming. Putin badly miscalculated.

Banned by the IOC next?

ioc already "recommends" ban of russian and belarusian athletes. we'll see if they do more i guess.

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/ioc-recommends-banning-russian-belarusian-athletes-international-events-2022-02-28/

think it’s clear Putin badly miscalculated/misjudged the blowback he’d receive from the west, specifically Europe.  

He had to know US would be all over his ass, but he was probably thinking it’d be similar to 2014- where it was bad but not crushing and Europe came groveling back to him anyway. 

French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone Monday and agreed to remain in contact in the coming days, but the Élysée Palace and Kremlin provided starkly different accounts of the discussions.
The Élysée Palace issued a statement saying Putin “confirmed his willingness to” 1) stop all attacks against civilians and civilian residences; 2) preserve civilian infrastructure; 3) secure (i.e. not attack) roads, in particular to the south of Kyiv.
The Kremlin statement made no such mention of these things. Instead, it said Putin told Macron that the situation would be resolved only by 1) unconditional recognition of Russian security interests including its sovereignty over Crimea; 2) the demilitarization and denazification of the Ukrainian government; 3) Ukrainian neutrality.
The Kremlin said Putin also told Macron that Russian military forces do not threaten the peaceful residents of Ukraine and are not attacking civilian targets. “The threat comes from Ukrainian nationalists, who are placing weapons in residential buildings in order to use the civilian population as human shields,” it said.

That was completely predictable.  I expect the same outcome from the Ukraine-Russian talks occurring in Belarus.  But, Zelensky correctly stated, they were obliged to send someone just in case the Russians actually meant it.

We all know, they did not.

guess you must’ve missed when Macron flew to Russia and Putin had him sitting across from him at a ridiculously long 50 ft table at their meeting, or when Putin said something along the lines of US is where the power lies and that’s who he’ll negotiate with.

Putin gave Macron assurances at that meeting he would not be invading Ukraine. Putin invaded Ukraine weeks later. Pretty obvious he doesn’t care about nor respect Macron or France.

I do not believe he’ll live up to his word to Macron here either. It’s the US he wants dialogue with, he could give a shit to talk with Macron, a weak leader of a weak country.