"Putin signs sanctions decree. Pentagon claims Russia’s progress in Donbass slow"
by Alex Christoforou and Alexander Mercouris,
The Duran: Episode 1271 (May 3, 2022)
https://theduran.com/putin-signs-sanctions-decree-pentagon-claims-russias-progress-in-donbass-slow/

[3:08] Alex Christoforou: "... instead of the EU putting an embargo on Russia, maybe Russia says 'we're just not going to sell to you guys anymore'."

[3:10] Alexander Mercouris: "I think it's entirely possible. I think that's exactly where we're heading. I think this is actually a point which I'd like to make. I think the EU is now working itself up towards imposing embargoes on Russian oil and gas. I don't think they understand that the Russians have for some time been working in the same but opposite direction. I don't think the Russians plan to go on selling oil and gas to Europe, actually. I think they're already looking for other markets in other parts of the world. And I don't think you would see this gas and oil trade continue for very much longer even if the Europeans did nothing. Because I don't think the Russians trust the Europeans anymore."

"The Russians have been making repeatedly the point that a lot of the money -- the Central Bank's money, that 300 billion dollars that was frozen [stolen] -- is money that was paid to them for gas and oil. It's the proceeds of Russian sales of oil and gas to Europe. Now, that means that the Europeans have got their oil and gas, but the Russians haven't gotten the money for it. So the Russians feel that they've been cheated, and that has destroyed their trust in the Europeans as customers. And so they're gradually, I think, saying to themselves, 'If the Europeans did this once they can do it again. So in light of that we're going to start winding down our entire trade in oil and gas'."

[4:51] . . .

[ : ] Alex Christoforou: " "

[ : ] Alexander Mercouris: " "