Russian currency stabilizing

so they polled putins mother AND father for approval numbers?

You do understand that if Putin follows through on his promise of requiring rubles for the existing contracts - or else he shuts off the gas and oil... then Russia will have violated the existing contracts (The existing contracts specify dollars or euros as the currency of payment).

The reason that many of the various countries are still buying gas and oil has to do with existing contracts. Same with the companies that provide services to the Russian gas and Oil industry. Few countries are signing new contracts; but all countries are honoring the contracts already in place.

The international business climate and the international courts take international trade contracts very seriously.

If Putin follows through - it would destroy any credibility in the business world that contracts with Russia means anything, and set Russia's international trade with the world back about 3 decades, or more. Cash and carry only will be the norm (and most countries want to be paid in dollars or euros).

Also, while the Russian population may have a high approval rating based on the false information that they are being fed... that will likely change when all the bodies and wounded start coming back from the war.

As for the economy. You are correct that at this time it has not been affected much.

That will get worse as time goes on - and in 3-6 months the Russian people will know that they are in real economic trouble.

I suggest that you let us know how things look in 6 months. At this point its a bit premature...

This sounds very similar to how all the pro-Brexit nuts in Britain said, "You see? It's been a month/year/two years since we voted to leave the EU, and the sky hasn't fallen! Everything's going to be just fine!"

Meanwhile, inflation was creeping up and GDP was slipping down. British companies were shifting jobs abroad, their exports to the EU were slumping, and they were having to deal with the additional costs and delays in goods crossing borders. Foreign companies were shifting their plans for future investment from Britain to EU countries. Farmers, elderly care homes and the National Health Service were suffering labour shortages because people from the EU no longer wanted to work in Britain.

Brexit hasn't (so far) been an utter disaster for the UK and it hasn't turned the country into an economic wasteland, but it's clear that it has had a negative impact in many ways and very few benefits.

And Brexit has been a slow-motion change which is much less drastic and wide-reaching than the sanctions on Russia - an economy which is about half the size of the UK's in terms of GDP, and one which was in much poorer general health prior to sanctions than Britain's was prior to Brexit.

You can keep on thinking that everything is going to be fine if you choose to do so, but in order to do that, you're going to have to wilfully ignore just how dependent Russia has become on foreign imports.

To take just a few examples:

You need to pretend that the aircraft that Putin has stolen from Western leasing companies will be able to continue to fly safely even though they no longer have access to the spare parts they need for maintenance and repairs.

You need to pretend that car factories in Russia haven't already shut down due to lack of components. (Hell, even Lada has had to suspend production due to that problem.)

You need to pretend that Uralvagonzavod isn't experiencing serious problems with building and repairing tanks and armoured vehicles due to a lack of parts, that the technology in Russian observation drones doesn't come from Western sources, and that some Russian missiles don't rely on electronics sourced from the USA.

And you'll need to work extra hard to keep on pretending that the increased prices in Russian shops are just fake news.

I'm sure that if the sanctions stay in place, Russia will be able to adapt. During the 70-odd years the USSR existed, it was clear that the serf mentality is a fundamental part of the Russian psyche. The vast majority of Russian people accepted their shitty lives during that period, so the vast majority of Russians alive today will deal with this developing mess like the pathetically servile peasants they are at heart. Those Russians with transferable skills and education are fleeing the country if they possibly can, but who cares about them. As long as they have potatoes and borscht and vodka, the typical Russian is content with their lot.

Russia is pretty much self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs, so you won't starve. I'm sure China will be happy to supply as much of the crappy stuff they produce as you want in exchange for oil and other raw materials that Russia produces. Russian drivers have a real talent for keeping junkyards stocked with fresh wrecks, so you'll be able to keep on cannibalising those mangled hulks to repair your modern cars for years. And when that resource dries up and Russian roads start to look like a 21st Century version of Cuba, Lada can dust off their Soviet-era tooling and you can save up for years to buy a new VAZ-2101.

Like olderdude, I'd like you to come back in six months and let us know how wonderful things still are in Russia.

So you're rootin for Putin then? I don't care for any politician and the media sucks butt. But I can bet that over time the sanctions will start to take their toll. Beats WW3 to me.

Biden is just trying to convince everyone they need to buy electric.