Memes

People who sell equipment for war make money when there's a war?!

Shocked, I'm shocked I say!

So it seems like you agree with the premise of the meme.

But acting like Russia invaded Ukraine because NATO said they'd want to stop buying Russian oil makes zero sense.

Then why do you suppose Russia invaded Ukraine?

And by the way, I am not alone in the view that this is a war for oil.

There are four reasons to think this war is, or will default to, an energy heist. The first is Russian national interest. Taking Ukraine’s energy would give Mr. Putin the second-largest natural-gas reserves in Europe, worth more than $1 trillion at today’s prices. It would give him oil and condensate worth as much as $400 billion, and most of Ukraine’s coal—the sixth-largest reserve base in the world. Additionally, he would consolidate an extraordinary strategic geopolitical advantage with ports on the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, putting Russia at the center of global energy supply to the vast European and Asian markets for the foreseeable future.

The second reason to think this war is a resource grab is Mr. Putin’s tactical focus. Russian troops are now concentrated in the parts of Ukraine that hold 90% of its energy resources. They have seized the Donbas and control Luhansk and Donetsk. They are embedded along the Black Sea coast and focusing extreme pressure on Mariupol. If the fighting stopped now, Mr. Putin would control all of Ukraine’s offshore oil, its critical ports on the Azov Sea, the Kerch Strait, 80% of the Black Sea coastline, and all critical energy-processing and shipping infrastructure.

The third reason is the treatment of Mariupol. If Mr. Putin’s core objective were the reunification of ethnic Russians, then pounding into dust the country’s largest urban center of pro-Russian Ukrainians would be an odd way to manage that reunification. If this is about control of Ukraine’s energy, however, that city is the essential land bridge to his Crimean assets and the critical port from which to ship resources from Donetsk and Luhansk.

Even Russia knew that invading a sovereign citizens would lead to oil sanctions.

The article goes on to say...

Despite the imposition of sanctions, European Union imports of Russian energy, enhanced by the annexed assets, continued unabated. Europe is now paying Russia more than $100 billion a year, and is on track to import 90% of the energy it consumes by 2030.

Source: WSJ - https://archive.is/owEbD#selection-4769.0-4769.654

I am very curious to hear what you think the reason for this war is.