Windows to Russia

Is Ukraine capable of convincing Russia that the days of stealing and playing games with European gas are over?

That is a billion dollar question to Ukraine and before the new president came on board.  Ukraine had an old president and prime minister that were bound and determined to destroy Ukraine. Without this transit money Ukraine would be in serious trouble financially.

Now Ukraine has been expressing her desire to reaffirm that she is a good transit country. A few weeks ago Ukraine made it clear that extra gas could be shipped through them if Belarus was going to be problems.

Is this transition from despising to embracing Russia, “a day late and a dollar short?”

Ukraine, which currently transits 80% of Russian gas to Europe, has been trying to convince Russia to set aside the South Stream project. If launched, South Stream will substantially reduce or cease the amount of gas transited via Ukraine and devastate the economy.

It seems to me that they did not care a a few years ago if they had the gas transit business. So what makes Russia believe that they will still care in a few years when another Orange Revolution is attempted by the West?

Here is a saying I use, “You Reap What You Sow!”  Looks like they better get the fertilizer out and help the relationship grow before it is too late…

Windows to Russia!

I just have to do a small article on this because it really makes me realize how stupid the whole situation was how many games where played by powers to be. This is being called by Western News as  “In the tradition of the Cold War!”

Doesn’t that make you all excited and nostalgic?

So it looks like a quick end is in site for the Russian Spies. I had said on the first post that I did, that in a few months no one will remember who the spies are. Except the Bombshell Redhead (Anna) of course! 🙂

• Spy swap (theworld.org)
• Video: U.S.-Russia Spy Swap Developing (cbsnews.com)
• Anna ‘in spy swap deal’ with Moscow (thesun.co.uk)
• “Russia and US said to be planning spy exchange” and related posts (agonist.org)
• Russia wants spy swap deal with US (telegraph.co.uk)
• Russian spy claims swap in works for spies in US (sfgate.com)
• Moscow prison abuzz ahead of expected spy swap; NY court to decide fate of 10 arrested in US (foxnews.com)
• Russian convicted of spying for West reportedly says he is being swapped for US arrestees (foxnews.com)
• Russia, US in possible spy deal (news.bbc.co.uk)

10 spies for 10 spies – you mean America had 10 whole spies in Russia…

“Who’d’a thunk it?”

Windows to Russia!

Having had numerous heart attacks, I find information like this interesting. I am one for new ideas and in this case a 10 year old idea that might be worth checking into. The video explains it…

It seems strange and I had to laugh at the poor guy bouncing on the bed. I have gone through some crazy treatments myself and you feel like a guinea pig at times.

It is a shame that Russia has a problem of equipping medical facilities outside of Moscow and it would be nice if more effort was put toward better facilities for Russians.

But the video does show that basic methods do bring results and it is not how fancy it all is, but how effective it is. I have read extensively about the ability of the body to grow new bypass vessels itself to help heal. This seems to be a way for the body to be stimulated to self heal.

Cool…

Windows to Russia!

This is an update post that finalizes the story of the Killer Cop…

Denis Yevsyukov, the ex-police officer convicted for the deadly shooting in a Moscow supermarket last year, has arrived at the jail where he will spend the rest of his days. It is one of Russia’s most secure prisons, nicknamed “the prison of the doomed”. It currently holds about 700 people guilty of the most serious crimes and sentenced to life.

No one has ever managed to escape from the facility.

Yevsyukov will be serving a life term after he opened fire in a Moscow supermarket last April, killing two people and wounding seven. (Link)

We have done several posts on this case and I linked above to the original post that will give you a run down on what happened if you do not know…

This man (cop) went off the drunk deep end and went on a killing spree that involved just everyday people. People that he had never met before…

Lets hope that he never gets out to do this again. Some people have to be put away to protect society and if you watch the video you will understand that…

Windows to Russia!

It was less than a year ago I was trying to explain to everyone about Russia and her efforts to enter the gas and oil markets of America. The one thing that I was insistent about is that Russians plan long term and are patient. Well finally it is starting to pay off…

Oil refineries spanning the area between the Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest and greater Los Angeles have been quick to try out oil that is landing in tankers sent from Russia’s eastern coast. Imports have gone from zero to an estimated 100,000 barrels a day in a matter of months since a pipeline bringing crude from deep inside Eastern Siberia came online.

This article by WSJ is interesting because “no one”, I mean “no one”, likes to admit that Russia is working her way into the oil and gas business of the USA. These same “no ones”, have also been caught by surprise because they sat back and only thought that Russia only cared about the hyper Asian markets for oil. Then while they snoozed, Russia knocked on the door with a bunch of full oil tankers. You see Russia has also been building extra capacity and is shipping the same to the Asia market…

Why has this opportunity for Russia come up?

Well that is a good question and has to do with a combination of things. One is that oil from Mexico has been on a huge decrease as of late and that seems to be going to stay a downward trend. Two is that the USA is trying to diversify her sources for oil. Three is that Russian oil is cheaper than the oil that we get from our own pipelines in Alaska. (Yes Cheaper!)

Also contrary to all popular belief, the usage of oil is not going to decrease and only going to become higher in demand. Russia has created a gateway to supply Siberian oil to America at the same time increasing oil flow to Asia. The USA knows that they better get on the band wagon because Asia will take all the oil that can be sent by Russia and leave the USA out in the cold…

So now you are going to be driving your car on not just Middle Eastern oil but Russian oil now also…

Windows to Russia!

• Russia-To-Asia Pipeline Takes Detour to U.S. (online.wsj.com)

Originally posted 2008-12-12 16:53:00.

This tidbit of news just appeared over the wire. I have included it so that all those Anti – Russian people will have something different to look at instead of the kill all reporters stories.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was interrupted by a protestor during his speech at the Kremlin to mark the fifteenth anniversary of the country’s constitution.

In his speech, Medvedev repeated his commitment to safeguarding basic human rights and freedoms and defended the decision to extend the presidential term from four years to six.

As Medvedev was speaking, a man began shouting his opposition to the recent extension of presidential and parliamentary terms.

Security officers started to bundled the man away but the president intervened, “No, no… Let the man stay and listen… The constitution has been adopted so that everyone has the right to express his own stance. It is a stance. And it can be respected.”

It was later discovered that the protestor was Roman Dobrokhotov, a journalist from the ‘Chastny Korrespondent’ internet portal. According to some reports, he is one of the founders of ‘My’ (“Us”), a youth opposition movement. (Link)

I have seen this happen a lot more lately and it really seems that Medvedev wants to hear the good and bad from the people.

I also think that Medvedev is smart enough to realize that a journalist like Roman Dobrokhotov intentionally creates a issue so that he gets hauled off to jail. Then he can whine and cry about human rights violations.

Other words he is trouble with a capital T and Medvedev handled him correctly!

The ending of the story is that Roman Dobrokhotov never would calm down and ended up taking a ride to the police station. So that he would have time to think about his plans for telling the world how his human rights have been violated! As par for the course he got out of jail and cried about his rights and violations…

I have watched for two years in Moscow and this man is a hate monger. He spoke downtown Moscow once and after listening to his mouth for 30 seconds you knew that he was a capital T!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

I have been watching closely and have noticed that Medvedev has been very quiet since the G-8, G-20 and American excursion. I sense a lot of thinking on his part going on. These quiet times are always conjunctive with spurts of Putin expressing himself for several weeks…

Putin is out and about right now. He has a large amount of projects as Prime Minister and he uses these moments to attract attention his way to divert from Medvedev…

Medvedev seems to have been stung by the escapades of America. I really think that Medvedev was “wined and dined” in America. I remember that Svet and I said at the same time. “I hope Medvedev comes back to Russia!” Of course it was a joke but a joke with an underlining issue…

For the fourth of July Medvedev made a statement to Obama: Medvedev said, “But relations meet the true interests of the people of our countries. This in itself makes hopeless and groundless the attempts to downplay the importance of our achievements.”

This is a a Medvedev that is thinking and knows that what happened in America over this spy scandal was an undermining of a future of the American / Russian relationship. I really think that Medvedev sees a weakness in putting all his chickens in one basket and that Obama is not a decent basket to bank on…

After the escapades the last few days by our Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,  after mouthiness’s  by Gates calling Russia “schizophrenic” plus other generalizations and Vice President Biden’s underlinings associated against Russia.  Russia has an eye and earful of information to assess…

The new question that Russia must contemplate is not who is the boss of Russia as so many people like to quandary about around the world.

But the real question is who is the true boss of America? Then once you discover him or them, how do you deal with him or them?

Because it is not Obama and Medvedev has just learned the hard way about that…

Windows to Russia!

Originally posted 2008-02-29 10:40:00.

RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 14:55:12.France’s automobile producer Renault and AVTOVAZ are planning to develop a new low-cost car, Sergei Chemezov, Chairman of the Russian car maker’s Board of Directors, stated today. AVTOVAZ intends to use Renault’s engine and transmission for the car, while producing the rest unaided, Chemezov said. The new car is projected to be a station wagon seven-seater, and it is expected to be rolled out by 2009.

RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 14:05:42.The Bank of Russia is not planning to change its annual inflation forecast of 8.5 percent for 2008, radio Echo of Moscow reported today, citing the bank’s First Deputy Chairman Alexei Ulyukayev. He pointed out that Russia could meet the target, adding that the figure itself was not as important, as the downward trend. Ulyukayev noted that the government was capable of curbing inflation, despite an inflation rate exceeding 3 percent in the first two months of the year.

RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 13:29:28.Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has applied once again to the Russian Anti-Monopoly Service for the permission to purchase an iron and steel producer Maxi Group, a source close to the company reported today. Meanwhile, NLMK’s press office did not comment on the matter.

RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 12:48:53.OGK-6’s Board of Directors has approved an issue of 22,468,978 shares as preparation for a merger with OGK-6 Holding, the power generation company stated today.

RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 12:39:28.AVTOVAZ and France’s car producer Renault have signed an agreement on strategic cooperation. The document was signed by the Russian state technology corporation, Russia’s leading automobile producer AVTOVAZ, Troika Dialog investment company, Rosoboronexport, and Renault. Chairman of AVTOVAZ Sergei Chemezov pointed out that the company’s restructuring was to be completed in July 2008. Once the process has been completed, Rosobornexport, Troika Dilaog, and Renault will be AVTOVAZ’s main shareholders.

RBC, 29.02.2008, Chelyabinsk 12:19:43.TGK-10 has announced today an issue of 633m additional shares with a par value of RUB 1.66 (approx. USD 0.069) each, the regional power generation company reported. The issue is expected to account for 57.73 percent of the company’s increased share capital, and the offering price has been set at RUB 111.80 (approx. USD 4.64). TGK-10 has invited investors to place bids for the issue, and Troika Dialog will act as the company’s broker. Proceeds from the issue are not projected to exceed RUB 46.6bn (approx. USD 1.932bn).

RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 10:48:34.Russia has made a statement at the UN Security Council meeting that the deployment of an EU mission in Kosovo was illegal, Russia’s Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin was cited by the Vesti TV channel as saying, following closed consultations at the UN. The mission’s deployment is illegal and does not comply with UN resolution 1244, which has been repeatedly declared valid by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Churkin noted.

RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 10:40:54.Russia and Hungary signed a cooperation agreement in Moscow on Thursday for building a gas pipeline to transit natural gas across Hungarian territory. The document was endorsed following a meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany and Russian President Vladimir Putin by Finance Minister Janos Veres of Hungary and Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko of Russia. The accord provides for Hungary’s inclusion in the implementation of the South Stream project.

RBC, 29.02.2008, Moscow 09:27:45.Russian President Vladimir Putin has delivered an address to the Russian people ahead of the presidential election, the leader’s press office reported. In his speech, the President encouraged Russians to exercise their right of vote on March 2. “Every vote matters, and the opinion of each one of you is important. I ask you come to the election on Sunday and vote for our future, Russia’s future,” he said.

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“Responsibility is borne by those who started it. They should pluck up their courage and find a way to the hearts of the people whom they wounded. An agreement should be negotiated.” Putin…

This is what Putin expressed in response to a statement that Clinton babbled about while in Georgia…  Clinton stated, “We continue to call for Russia to abide by the August 2008 ceasefire commitment signed by President Saakashvili and President Medvedev, including ending the occupation and withdrawing Russian troops from South Ossetia and Abkhazia to their pre-conflict positions. ”  You know this line of bull has been recited from the day one and it has become worn out. Can Clinton not come up with something better to say?

Putin is right! Georgia has to communicate with South Ossetia and Abkhazia to make things correct. It is not Russia’s job nor is it America’s job. Georgia has to stand alone and must admit first to the people they attacked, that Georgia was wrong for doing it. For until that happens South Ossetia and Abkhazia will never ever begin to trust Georgia…

My Grandma use to say, “To correct the problem, you must look inside yourself…” She is right!

Gotta love that line above about plucking up their courage… 🙂

Windows to Russia!

I always have several days of thinking’s when I go to my doctors in Russia. I had some new experiences this last weekend because we had to find me a new cardiologist. My other cardiologist has retired and I was forced to start looking for another doctor to deal with this grouchy bear! (me)

Svet and I found  a new clinic near one of the Gazprom banks that she works at downtown. She found me an endocrinologist and a cardiologist under the same roof so to speak.

This clinic is almost brand new and as modern as anything I have ever been to in my life. My old clinic (was just that, old!) was built during the Soviet era. I had adjusted to that clinic, so when I was entering the new one I was taken back by the modernness. I also wondered if this was going to be expensive just like health care in America… (Never fear it was extremely reasonable if not cheaper than the older unit we went to!)

I always am still amazed by the fact that literally all doctors in Russia are women. After being raised in a stereotype world that doctors are men, it still is hard for me to realize that when I go into a health care facility that everyone who is there to help me, are women.  In Russia the doctors are Women. (The men do what men do best and run the maintenance crews for the buildings.)

I really respected my last cardiologist and she was very knowledgeable and a wonderful person. She had spent many years helping people and was way due to have a life of her own. I will miss being under her wing, so to speak…

Enter a new cardiologist: This young lady is still finishing up some long term studies at her university but is a certified cardiologist. She was very excited about having an American as a patient. It looks like this will be a good thing because at her university I can get testing done for free or very reasonable prices. I could tell by what she was saying that she had a brain and knew how to use it. That is very important to me… 🙂

Lets talk about a test that they do here every time I see the cardiologist. It is a heart sonogram (echocardiography), this is a test that I never had done in America yet here it is done regularly and gives the doctor a basis to see if damage has increased or decreased in the heart and vessels. The biggest advantage to echocardiography is that it is noninvasive (doesn’t involve breaking the skin or entering body cavities) and has no known risks or side effects. That is the part I like…

These tests over almost 4 years have actually shown no deterioration in my hearts physical condition.  It seems that I am doing all the right things and my heart is not getting any worse for the wear. Now this is not to say that I can go hog wild and do what ever I want. It means that I have leveled out and am no longer having serious damage done to my heart as we speak. Damage I have to my heart because I was stupid and spent years ignoring pain in my chest and arms because I could not stop work long enough to check it out… (Did I say stupid?)

I also while at this new clinic went to see a new endocrinologist due to the fact that I did not want to have to travel all over Moscow just to see different doctors at different places. Once again she (yes a she), very well educated and knowledgeable.

Lets talk about a couple of the biggest contrasts between American doctors and Russian doctors.

I never in all my years in America had a doctor that would take more than 15 minutes to really listen to what you had to say about your problems. In fact most of the time an America doctor spends is looking at his watch because he has patients lined up down the hall way and has to see them all. In America I would wait two to three hours to see the doctor and spend 10 minutes with the doctor. You could not understand half of what he mumbled about and the nurse always explained everything to you later as you paid the bill…

In Russia, the doctor asks a million questions and checks a million spots on your body. My cardiologist and endocrinologist both spent an hour or more talking to me about what was happening, what was needed, what needs to be done and what better be done – to get better yet. The doctor also gives you copies of all your medical records so that you can always have up to date information encase of emergencies. If you have x-rays done then you keep the copies of those x-rays.  These are very strange mannerisms to me.But mannerisms that I definitely prefer…

In America they just do not like you looking at your own doctors records and even if you peek at them, there is no way possible that you would understand the mumble jumble that is written all over the pages. I was in the hospital in America with a heart attack and I happened to grab the folder at the end of the bed to see what everyone is saying about my condition. You would have thought that I committed a crime and got scolded by no less than 10 people from nurses up through the doctors… 🙁  (I thought that they were my records?)

As I have said before the doctors in Russia really do care about you and believe me it does not have anything to do with money because in Russia, a Russian doctor does not make very much money…

Hope your week is good because mine is great!

Windows to Russia!

• Emails and Coffee… (windowstorussia.com)
• Sveta Drinks Tea and I Drink Coffee… (windowstorussia.com)
• About Us! (windowstorussia.com)
• Russia and WikiLeaks… (windowstorussia.com)
• Thoughts from Russia with Coffee… (windowstorussia.com)