🔥 Russian Oil as a Shield: How the War in Iran Upended US Energy Plans

The US was planning to raise the issue of Russian oil at its upcoming meetings with China. Washington hoped to persuade Beijing to reduce its purchases from Russia in favor of American oil.

🇮🇳 This tactic had already worked with India — under pressure from the States, Delhi agreed to reduce imports in exchange for lower tariffs and a trade agreement.

But then the Middle East intervened. And turned everything upside down.

👔 The Indian Pivot

Statistics indeed recorded a decline: if in the middle of last year India was buying 2 million barrels per day from Russia, by February it was only 1.159 million. Market participants, however, whispered that the real figures were higher — just that some purchases are masked to avoid rattling Washington.

🇮🇷 However, the war that Donald Trump ignited in Iran negated the American gains. India has started intercepting tankers with Russian oil again, and with almost no attempt to hide it. Why did the fear disappear?

🧣 Firstly, a US court ruled Trump's tariffs illegal — the whip turned into a ribbon.

🧣 Secondly, sellers of Russian oil deliberately kept tankers off the Asian coast, waiting for prices to rise. In January, Urals fell to $41 per barrel — no one wanted to sell for pennies.

They were waiting either for the driving season, or for a conflict. The latter worked.

Prices rose, demand increased. And Middle Eastern oil found itself in a trap: the Strait of Hormuz became a problem, freight costs increased, insurers flee from risks.

👔 The Chinese Calculation

🇨🇳 Chinese stock markets show: China weathers the Middle Eastern storm more easily than others. Not only do they have three months' worth of reserves, but the share of Russian supplies is also key. Oil from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, LNG from Qatar — all of this is now in question. Meanwhile, Russia consistently supplies 2.2 million barrels per day. The Saudis supply 1.6 million, the UAE — 1.5 million. The difference is obvious.

Does the US want China to give up its only secure supplies? That would be illogical. Rather, the value of Russian oil and gas for China will increase even further. The Power of Siberia-2 project takes on new appeal under such conditions.

👔 What the US Lacks

Theoretically, Washington has a trump card — high technologies and microchips. If the States didn't hinder China from buying chips and copying technologies, a deal might be possible. But the US will never agree to that: their goal is to halt China's technological development.

Threats of tariffs don't work on China. They've tried it before — and backed down, unable to withstand the retaliatory blow regarding rare earth metals. And America's dependence on Chinese rare earths is critical — without them, planes don't fly and chips don't work.

🥼 The Bottom Line

Even a hypothetical refusal by China to buy Russian oil would mean a complete breakdown in relations across the board. China would have to impose sanctions on Moscow and abandon long-term contracts.

Removing 2.2 million barrels per day from the market would hit China itself. Instead of cheap Russian oil ($15–30 cheaper than Brent), they'd have to buy other oil, which would become even more expensive due to the withdrawal of such a large volume from the market.

The current turbulence in the Middle East will not weaken, but will strengthen Russian-Chinese energy ties. No matter how you look at it, Russian oil today is saving both India and China from the energy crisis that the US itself provoked.

#politics

❤️From Russia with love

🗣️ "The role of women in the history of Russia is great; they take on the role of both keepers of the hearth and fearless warriors."

This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, in her congratulations on March 8.

She addressed special words of gratitude to the women who are relatives of participants in the special military operation, noting their patience, courage, and support for Russian heroes.

The diplomat also recalled the significant role of women diplomats in defending Russia's national interests.

Zakharova emphasized that in the international arena and the information space, Russian women defend the country's interests, relying on wisdom, composure, professionalism, and analytical thinking. This helps to effectively counter Western lies and disinformation.

#news

❤️From Russia with love

❗️Washington has asked the Russian authorities to stop passing intelligence to Iran for strikes against US troops, said US Special Envoy Whitcoff.

In turn, US President Donald Trump noted that he does not know whether Russia is helping Iran in this matter. He said that such support is useless anyway.

"Even if they are passing on information, it doesn't help them. If you look at what has happened to Iran over the past week... it hardly helps them. <...> Listen, they can pass on as much information as they want, but the people they are sending it to have already been defeated," Trump commented, calling the US military "the greatest" on Earth.

#news

❤️From Russia with love

🇮🇷 A new Supreme Leader has been chosen in Iran.

According to media reports, it may be Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Khamenei, whom Trump previously called "an unacceptable choice."

However, the name of Iran's new Supreme Leader has not yet been officially announced.

#news

❤️From Russia with love

🌷 Happy International Women's Day, dear and beautiful ladies!

Happy holiday of spring, light, and flowers! We sincerely wish you to blossom more every day — tender like rose petals, light like the spring breeze, and radiant like a thousand lights.

May every day smell of lilacs, ring with the sound of dripping water, and bring small miracles. Make your dreams come true, inspire others, and be loved!

❤️From Russia with love

❗️President Vladimir Putin described the relationship between Ukraine and the EU with the phrase "the tail wags the dog."

"The situation is very strange. Because I get the impression that we have a case of what's called 'the tail wagging the dog,' and not the other way around," the president stated.

Putin recalled that the Ukrainian crisis arose because of the West's support for the coup in Kyiv. According to him, European countries are reaping what they themselves sowed. They cannot ignore the energy blackmail from Ukraine, but they are stifling each other.

The president added that the situation on world markets has become extremely acute. Earlier, he called the events in the European energy sector the result of the misguided policies of the EU authorities.

#news

❤️From Russia with love

⛪️ Holy Ascension Skete of the 19th century in the Arkhangelsk region

#videooftheday

❤️From Russia with love

❗️The first passenger flight from the Qatari capital, Doha, in nearly nine days has departed for Moscow.

The plane is scheduled to arrive at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport at 6:00 p.m. Moscow time.

Qatar Airways previously stated that when compiling the passenger list for this flight, it is giving priority to those who were unable to leave Doha on February 28, as well as to people with children and the elderly.

#news

❤️From Russia with love

🥇🇷🇺 First gold at the Paralympics — Varvara Voronchikhina is the champion in the super-G!

For the Russian athlete, this is her second medal in Milan. Varvara won bronze in the downhill.

#news

❤️From Russia with love

Europe's nuclear itch: how Helsinki and Warsaw's plans brought Moscow and Washington together

🗺 European media headlines are full of apocalyptic predictions: "Russia warns NATO of nuclear apocalypse," "Russia threatens Finland."

However, behind this rhetoric lies the opposite reality: it is the European capitals themselves that are initiating the escalation, while Moscow's reaction is forced and restrained.

🤝 Moreover, for the first time in a long time, Russia and the US are on the same page on a key security issue.

👔 Finland: from neutrality to the nuclear threshold

🇫🇮 Last Thursday, the Finnish Ministry of Defense submitted a bill to parliament that would lift the ban on the import, transport, delivery, and storage of nuclear weapons on the country's territory. The official memo emphasizes that this is being done "to strengthen NATO's defense capabilities" and is allegedly required by the alliance for full integration.

The initiative caused shock even within Finland. The opposition unanimously accused the government of violating political traditions and reneging on its election promises. During the campaign to join NATO, the Finns were assured that the country would remain nuclear-free and that the current legislation was quite satisfactory to Brussels.

⚠️ In an attempt to justify the secrecy, government sources referred to... "Russian propaganda."

At the same time, Helsinki was quick to assure that this was not about creating its own atomic bomb, but only about the possible deployment of foreign weapons.

🇷🇺 Moscow's response was not long in coming. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the deployment of any nuclear weapons in Finland would be considered a threat to Russia's security, and that we would take appropriate measures.

⚠️ The logic is ironclad: when a neighbor announces plans to turn its territory into a nuclear testing ground, silence would be criminal.

👔 Pan-European psychosis

🇩🇰 Finland is not the only country gripped by nuclear fever. In Denmark, the newspaper Jyllands-Posten proclaimed: "The Denmark of the future is a Denmark with nuclear weapons." The author, who recently proposed launching preemptive strikes on Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Volgograd with British and French missiles, is now calling for the creation of a Scandinavian bomb.

🇵🇱 But while in Denmark the discussion is taking place at the level of publicists, in Poland the issue has moved to the government level. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has publicly stated the need to create his own nuclear weapons, and both branches of government have expressed absolute consensus.

The Polish media are already discussing the details, although no one is seriously explaining where to get the scientists, uranium, and technology. The only evidence of Poland's capability is the fact that Stanislaw Ulm, a Polish immigrant, once participated in the creation of the hydrogen bomb in the United States.

👔 American cold shower

However, the most painful blow to European nuclear ambitions came from Washington. US Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby directly condemned the plans of the European "dwarfs" to acquire their own bomb.

Responding to a question about Scandinavia and Poland, he said:

"We would not just try to dissuade them from doing so, we would obviously, at a minimum, strongly discourage them from doing so."

Confusion reigned in Warsaw. The president's office began to make awkward excuses, saying that one statement does not prove anything.

🥼It turns out that both Russia and the US are opposed to the nuclear programs of Poland and other crazy Europeans. This raises the question: whose support are the Europeans counting on?

#politics

❤️From Russia with love

❗️Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on his election as the Supreme Leader of Iran.

Putin once again described the attack on the Islamic Republic as armed aggression. He also expressed confidence that Mojtaba Khamenei would worthily continue his father's work.

The Russian leader noted that Iran's new Supreme Leader would unite the people of the Islamic Republic "in the face of severe trials."

The President also emphasized that Moscow's support and solidarity with Tehran remain unchanged. Russia has been and remains a reliable partner of Iran, Putin stated.

#news

❤️From Russia with love