Russia Cuts Off Poland, Bulgaria
In response to Russia refusing to ship natural gas to countries that refuse to pay in a currency deemed acceptable to Russia, European leaders are threatening to utilize even harsher rhetoric in response. Europe is being taught a hard, but necessary lesson in the difference between hard power and soft power, which is the difference between actual power and empty words. And it is paying a steep price for being the lapdog’s lapdog, which is another word for chew toy.
It is all just a game: Russia has cut gas to Poland. Poland then announced that it will no longer buy Russian gas because they refuse to pay in rubles. But what Poland means is that they will buy Russian gas from Germany in euros, which Germany would have paid for in rubles. Russia makes money anyway. (Alam Firmansyah)