XJO - Bear Posts only (Factors which might cause the markets to fall), page-6032

Before the invasion of Ukraine, the National central bank had foreign reserves worth more than $600 billion. With the foreign reserves frozen, Russia is now looking at the first foreign debt since 1918. It means when Russia goes to the debt markets they will need to pay a higher cost of borrowing.

The IMF expects Russian GDP to fall by 7.6% this year (source Forbes). So by any measure its not fine!!!

In terms of the Russian industrial complex pumping out arms nothing is further from the truth.
The Russian military capacity was used up in the first 100 days. Russia now has to resort to 50 year old tanks (T-62), cheap drones from Iran & ammunition from North Korea. Ukraine has the combined resources of NATO's vast industrial complex which will not run out any time soon. A lot of the arms manufactured in Russia prior to the invasion like missiles required parts from the West. However the largest supply source for the war for Ukraine is still Russia ;-). (you know the ones they leave behind or is captured when they surrender).

What is the driving force for the defense of Ukraine ? Maybe its the nightmares from the past "Holodomor". The famine engineered by Joseph Stalin which killed millions of Ukrainians.

In terms of the east hating the west nothing could be further from the truth. My 2 best examples are Eric Yuan & Xi Mingze.
Eric Yuan who lived in China failed to get his visa application to the US approved a number of times. He succeeded on his 9th attempt. Eric is the founder of Zoom.
Of all the places Xi Mingze could have studied she choose Harvard University. Xi Mingze is the daughter of Xi Jinping.
If you look at the stats ie: where migrants from the east want to move to, its usually to the West not to China or Russia. I wonder why ?