Quote from: countryfree on June 20, 2015, 01:58:12 PM

Now, I wonder what game the Greeks are playing. They've said many times that the Germans and especially Frau Merkel were all nazis, but they would like us to believe that Putin is Mr Nice Guy, and that he will save Greece from rapacious western bankers? I'm doubtful dealing with Putin will be any sweeter than dealing with Mme Lagarde from the IMF.

At least Putin is not trying to steal money from the Greek pensioners, when they are struggling to survive. And he is not siding with Goldman Sucks, when the bank is trying to loot the Greeks.
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Another thing to remember. Merkel made herself very unpopular in Greece a few years ago, when she suggested that Germany will take ownership of several of the Greek islands against writing off of the debt. At least Putin is offering Greeks a way to earn money unlike Germany, who wanted to make another stab at land grab.

Quote from: countryfree on June 23, 2015, 10:56:04 PM

Quote from: Tusk on June 23, 2015, 05:01:16 PM

Greece is probably better off siding with Russia, they will get the benefit from the gas pipeline, have a market for their agricultural produce without other competing EU members due to sanctions, a weaker currency boosting tourism and exports. Staying with the Euro they will just have perpetual pain.

A gas pipeline? To what end? Greece doesn't need much of it. The customers Russians want are in the EU, with Italy first in line. I'm not sure many European leaders would be pleased to pay the Greeks to buy Russian gas, especially since that it would be a way to bypass Ukraine, giving Russia an even tighter grip on Ukrainian economy.

I agree that a cheap currency would help exports, sadly Greece doesn't export much. Anyone here likes ouzo? I don't.

That's backward logic. When Russia bypasses Ukraine, which has a track record of stealing the transit gas, Russia actually forfeits some of the control on Ukrainian economy: Ukraine no longer gets paid the transit fees. As for having a tight grip... You should expand your historical horizon. Russian/Ukrainian economies were intertwined from before the coup d'etat of 1917, when these lands were one and the same country.

You ask to what end if the pipeline? to supply Southern Europe with gas. Northern Europe gets its gas through North Stream. Central (Poland) - through Yamal pipeline. Southern Europe is at a disadvantage, having it's supply routed though a US puppet state. Russia and thous Southern countries want to have a stable supply. And Greece was an industrial country before it joined EU. Who knows, Greece may need more gas once it starts to re-industrialise. And the transit income is very much needed too. Everyone (except the USA) wins.