Russia Dumps 20% Of Its Treasury Holdings As Mystery "Belgium" Buyer Adds Another Whopping $40 Billion

Russia Dumps 20% Of Its Treasury Holdings As Mystery "Belgium" Buyer Adds Another Whopping $40 Billion

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/15/2014 13:23 -0400

Back in mid-March, there was a brief scare after the start of the Ukraine conflict, when Fed custody holdings plunged by a record $104.5 billion (if promptly bouncing back the following week), leading many to believe that Russia may have dumped its Treasurys, or at least change its bond custodian. We noted that we wouldn't have a definitive answer until the May TIC number came out to know for sure how much Russia had sold, or if indeed, anything. Moments ago the May TIC numbers did come out, and as expected, Russia indeed dumped a record $26 billion, or some 20% of all of its holdings, bringing its post-March total to just over $100 billion - the lowest since the Lehman crisis.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-15/russia-dumps-20-its-treasury-holdings-mystery-belgium-buyer-adds-another-whopping-40

Russia Is Doing It – Russia Is Actually Abandoning The Dollar

By Michael Snyder, on June 10th, 2014

The Russians are actually making a move against the petrodollar. It appears that they are quite serious about their de-dollarization strategy. The largest natural gas producer on the planet, Gazprom, has signed agreements with some of their biggest customers to switch payments for natural gas from U.S. dollars to euros. And Gazprom would have never done this without the full approval of the Russian government, because the Russian government holds a majority stake in Gazprom. There hasn't been a word about this from the big mainstream news networks in the United States, but this is huge. When you are talking about Gazprom, you are talking about a company that is absolutely massive. It is one of the largest companies in the entire world and it makes up 8 percent of Russian GDP all by itself. It holds 18 percent of the natural gas reserves of the entire planet, and it is also a very large oil producer. So for Gazprom to make a move like this is extremely significant.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/russia-is-doing-it-russia-is-actually-abandoning-the-dollar

Imagine that, the frauds at the ECB bailing out the frauds at US CB, I.e. the non federal FED. Its like drug cartels returning favours.

R.I.P. $Dollar$ – BRICS create Open Anti Dollar Alliance
July 4th, 2014

The BRICS group of Nations led by RUSSIA has openly announced the abandonment of the US $ in trade between themselves as well as the creation of settlement mechanisms that completely bypass the $. This is the BIGGEST nail in the coffin of the US $ as World Reserve Currency. Expect Inflation in the US to start gathering speed in the second half of the year, and the possible launching of a major war. This has the potential to push the US to 2nd world status (like Poland) and eventual 3rd world.

Read more at http://investmentwatchblog.com/r-i-p-dollar-brics-create-open-anti-dollar-alliance/#O65rJ362KEVUcLML.99

839. Iraqi crisis created to save dollar (6/18/2014)

In early June, Russia switches the oil payment from dollars to Euros.

Quote :

Gazprom Signs Agreements to Switch from Dollars to Euros

Global Research, June 07, 2014

Gazprom Neft had signed additional agreements with consumers on a possible switch from dollars to euros for payments under contracts, the oil company’s head Alexander Dyukov told a press conference.

“Additional agreements of Gazprom Neft on the possibility to switch contracts from dollars to euros are signed. With Belarus, payments in rubles are agreed on,” he said.

Dyukov said nine of ten consumers had agreed to switch to euros.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/gazprom-signs-agreements-to-switch-from-dollars-to-euros/5386049

This is very important news. If people starting to abandon the dollar, US will be hurt seriously in economy. Yet the news was little reported by the mainstream media. Several days later, the ISIL rebel in Iraq activates an offensive. The puppet Iraqi government retreats without any resistance. As a result, the oil price goes up.

Quote :

Oil prices spike as Iraq violence flares
By Mark Thompson @MarkThompsonCNN June 12, 2014

Oil prices spiked Thursday to levels not seen in nine months as escalating violence in Iraq sparked worries about crude exports.

Light crude oil futures touched $106 a barrel, up nearly 2% and the highest price since September 2013.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/06/12/news/oil-prices-iraq/

Since the money used in most oil trading is dollar, the higher oil price will force the buyer to keep more dollar in bank as purchasing power. It’s a big amount if future option is included. Manipulating oil price becomes a strategy to save the dollar. Iraq is a big country of oil production and exportation. Its political stability has huge influence to oil price. US has turned it into a switch to adjust the oil price.

844. To save the dollar by hitting the Euro (7/17/2014)

Someone argues,

Quote :

Originally Posted by imaginethat
Russia is the world's largest exporter of oil. Any increase in the price of oil benefits Russia.

That’s true. But oil price is the fastest way to adjust the demand of the dollar. We saw then the Euro – an alternative to the dollar, is threatened.

Quote :

Portugal bank crisis shakes investor confidence
By Brigitte HagemannJuly 10, 2014

Lisbon (AFP) - Fears over the health of Portugal's largest listed bank, Banco Espirito Santo, sent its shares into freefall Thursday, shaking stock markets in Lisbon and across Europe and even the Atlantic.

http://news.yahoo.com/portugals-financial-system-weak-pockets-imf-182844328.html

Euro is the reserve currency next to the dollar. When dollar is weak that oil buyers have to use Euros for payment to Russian oil, what if Euro’s value is threatened? Similar situation had acted four years ago when US had a financial crisis (the bankruptcy of Leman Brothers caused by sub-prime loan collapse), US resolved it by introducing the Greek financial crisis.

Quote :

Wall St. Helped to Mask Debt Fueling Europe’s Crisis

By LOUISE STORY, LANDON THOMAS Jr. and NELSON D. SCHWARTZ

Published: February 13, 2010
Wall Street tactics akin to the ones that fostered subprime mortgages in America have worsened the financial crisis shaking Greece and undermining the euro by enabling European governments to hide their mounting debts.

As worries over Greece rattle world markets, records and interviews show that with Wall Street’s help, the nation engaged in a decade-long effort to skirt European debt limits. One deal created by Goldman Sachs helped obscure billions in debt from the budget overseers in Brussels.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/business/global/14debt.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

If the high oil price would benefit enemy Russia, then US has to dig into the foundation of ally’s wallet. Last time the ignition was Greece, this time it is Portugal.

845. Another way to weaken the Euro (7/21/2014)

The energy supply of Europe is heavily dependent on Russia. About one third to 40% of its natural gas and oil are imported from Russia. One important gas pipe is inside Ukraine. If there is a turmoil in Ukraine, the gas supply to Europe will be affected. The economy of Europe would be weakened, so be the Euro. That’s why we saw an upheaval in Ukraine.

Quote :

Ron Paul Defends Russia After Malaysian Plane Crash
.
By Colin Campbell Jul 21, 2014,

One of those unreported things, Paul claimed in his weekly "Texas Straight Talk" column, was the United States' own responsibility for destabilizing the region. Ukraine is currently embroiled in violent conflict between the Ukrainian government and the pro-Russian separatists.

"They will not report that the crisis in Ukraine started late last year, when EU and US-supported protesters plotted the overthrow of the elected Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych.

Without US-sponsored 'regime change,' it is unlikely that hundreds would have been killed in the unrest that followed. Nor would the Malaysian Airlines crash have happened," Paul wrote.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ron-paul-defends-russia-malaysian-151731466.html

Here EU used to be a follower of the US. I think the Europeans have sensed the coming danger the US will bring to them. German is a major power of EU. Recently, German has twice revealed two US spy cases and eventually expelled a CIA intelligence official. That’s unusual.

Quote :

Germany Demands Top U.S. Intelligence Officer Be Expelled
Posted 10 July 2014 - 07:36 PM

BERLIN — Germany’s relations with the United States plunged to a low point Thursday, with the government demanding the expulsion of the chief American intelligence official stationed here because, it said, Washington has refused to cooperate with German inquiries into United States intelligence activities.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/11/world/europe/germany-expels-top-us-intelligence-officer.html?_r=1

I would say German has sensed (or with its state ability, having the intelligence) that US would sacrifice European’s economy by creating a crisis in Europe. It could be terror attack; or war. The deportation of US intelligence official is just a warning or protest of disagreement. Several days later, Malaysia airliner MH17 was down in Ukraine.

847. Puppets show to save the dollar (8/1/2014)

The MH17 crash was obviously an attempt to draw Europe into a war crisis in Ukraine. As a result, Euro goes down wards.

Quote :

Ukraine Tensions See Euro Come off Boil

LONDON — Jul 22, 2014, 11:56 AM ET

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press

The euro fell Tuesday to its lowest level against the dollar this year amid concerns that the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 will prompt a bigger freeze in relations between the European Union and Russia.

The deterioration in relations between the two sides has worked against the euro, which is used by 18 EU countries. The crisis in Ukraine has given traders an opportunity to sell the euro, which had been at multiyear highs against the dollar despite the muted economic recovery in the eurozone and low interest rates.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/ukraine-tensions-finally-euro-off-boil-24663139

Russia wants buyers to abandon the dollar and use the Euro for its oil. Ukraine crisis forces traders to sell the Euro. That’s how US to save its dollar – by creating war crisis.

Moreover, there is a turmoil in Libya lately. Libya is an oil rich country. The upheaval there not only push up the oil price, but also hurt economy of European countries. It’s not a coincidence.

Quote :

US Evacuates Embassy In Libya Amid Clashes
By Matthew Lee July 26, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States shut down its embassy in Libya on Saturday and evacuated its diplomats to neighboring Tunisia under U.S. military escort amid a significant deterioration in security in Tripoli as fighting intensified between rival militias, the State Department said.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/us-evacuates-embassy-in-libya

When there were “dictators”, the media blew the trumpet for “democracy”, “color revolution”, “Arab spring”. After the fall of the dictatorship, what left over are all US assets: ISIS, Iraq’s Maliki puppet government, rival militias (include Al Qaida) in Libya. Now you rarely hear the angry cry for justice although those agents are more cruel than the “dictators” – they are bombing civilians; beheading P.O.W. and doing religious extinction. Because all those puppets are working for the same master.

The puppets now are acting war shows in Iraq, Libya and Ukraine(where only Russia is the real enemy), all for one purpose, to save the dollar from collapse.

849. Ebola spreading is a bio attack (8/12/2014)

The recent outbreak of Ebola epidemic is a bio attack. It plays the same role as SARS to create a public panic which finally will cause a heavy economic damage. The target aims at E.U.. The main project is to create a conflict between E.U. and Russia in Ukraine crisis. E.U. and Russia all realize it and are trying to avoid such a confrontation. The shooting down of MH17 was one of the efforts. To push the reluctant E.U. countries to step up the confrontation with Russia, US activate the Ebola attack. It’s a whipping, a blackmail. If you don’t do to my way, you’ll be suffered an epidemic. Your economy will be damaged.

The bird flu virus and Ebola virus, are the secret weapons of Pentagon because so far the outside world has no effective medicine to deal with them.

Quote :

Weaponized Ebola Virus Info

Filoviruses like Ebola have been of interest to the Pentagon since the late 1970s, mainly because Ebola and its fellow viruses have high mortality rates — in the current outbreak, roughly 60 percent to 72 percent of those who have contracted the disease have died — and its stable nature in aerosol make it attractive as a potential biological weapon.

http://lunaticoutpost.com/showthread.php?tid=453171

The source of Ebola was well selected. Watch the map, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone are below West Europe, then it goes north to Spain. The dead Spanish priest indicates E.U. would be the target.

Of course, to get rid of being suspected as the original source of Ebola spreader. US got two American aid workers being contaminated with the Ebola. Both recovered from the deadly disease. It means US has developed the Ebola vaccine already. Nobody will start a bio war that would also hit himself unless he has had effective cure medicine already. That’s why there was such a comic that WHO demanded the drug but US said it’s too early as it was still in test. The possible production will be in next year.

They won't let out the new drug before they seeing the result of this bio attack - the economic crisis in Europe. That likely will happen in September.

Gaddafi and Saddam, both were killed after they abandoned dollar in their oil trading.

Quote :

Gaddafi gold-for-oil, dollar-doom plans behind Libya 'mission'?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuqZfaj34nc
https://youtu.be/GuqZfaj34nc

--------------------

Quote :

Iraq nets handsome profit by dumping dollar for euro
Faisal Islam, economics correspondent
The Observer, Saturday 15 February 2003
A bizarre political statement by Saddam Hussein has earned Iraq a windfall of hundreds of million of euros. In October 2000 Iraq insisted on dumping the US dollar - 'the currency of the enemy' - for the more multilateral euro.

The changeover was announced on almost exactly the same day that the euro reached its lowest ebb, buying just $0.82, and the G7 Finance Ministers were forced to bail out the currency. On Friday the euro had reached $1.08, up 30 per cent from that time.

Almost all of Iraq's oil exports under the United Nations oil-for-food programme have been paid in euros since 2001. Around 26 billion euros (£17.4bn) has been paid for 3.3 billion barrels of oil into an escrow account in New York.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2003/feb/16/iraq.theeuro

katsung47 wrote:

Gaddafi and Saddam, both were killed after they abandoned the dollar in their oil trading.

Exactly.  There's a war going on currently in the shadowy financial world of  international power brokers.  Unfortunately, the rest of us are just pawns in their game.   If we end up in a war with Russia, it won't be because of Ukraine ….. it will be because of the dollar.  (jmo)

1 Timothy 6:10 - "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."

The Nail In The Petrodollar Coffin: Gazprom Begins Accepting Payment For Oil In Ruble, Yuan

 

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 08/27/2014

Several months ago, when Russia announced the much anticipated "Holy Grail" energy deal with China, some were disappointed that despite this symbolic agreement meant to break the petrodollar's stranglehold on the rest of the world, neither Russia nor China announced payment terms to be in anything but dollars. In doing so they admitted that while both nations are eager to move away from a US Dollar reserve currency, neither is yet able to provide an alternative.

 

This changed in late June when first Gazprom's CFO announced the gas giant was ready to settle China contracts in Yuan or Rubles, and at the same time the People's Bank of China announced that its Assistant Governor Jin Qi and Russian central bank Deputy Chairman Dmitry Skobelkin held a meeting in which they discussed cooperating on project and trade financing using local currencies. The meeting discussed cooperation in bank card, insurance and financial supervision sectors.

 

And yet, while both sides declared their operational readiness and eagerness to bypass the dollar entirely, such plans remained purely in the arena of monetary foreplay and the long awaited first shot across the Petrodollar bow was absent.

 

Until now.

 

According to Russia's RIA Novosti, citing business daily Kommersant, Gazprom Neft has agreed to export 80,000 tons of oil from Novoportovskoye field in the Arctic; it will accept payment in rubles, and will also deliver oil via the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline (ESPO), accepting payment in Chinese yuan for the transfers. Meaning Russia will export energy to either Europe or China, and receive payment in either Rubles or Yuan, in effect making the two currencies equivalent as far as the Eurasian axis is conerned, but most importantly, transact completely away from the US dollar thus, finally putin'(sic) in action the move for a Petrodollar-free world.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-08-27/gazprom-begins-accepting-payment-oil-ruble-yuan

556. Petro-dollar, the cause of Iran war (7/4/08)

People think the nuclear ambition of Iran is the reason for Iran war. That is only right on Israel's part. For US part, it is petro-dollar.

US dollar is appointed currency in oil trading. Because the oil trade is a huge business, a large amount of dollar is locked up in that trade. That money is called petro-dollar. Why it is so important to US? Because it acts as a long term none interest loan The prosperous US economy partly was based on the petro-dollar - a long term loan without interest. Let me depict it in this way:

US bought a house from Japan (whom represents the oil customers of Iran) for one million dollars. US also bought another house from France (whom represents other oil customers of OPEC) for one million dollars. Japan and France use these two million dollars as fund to buy oil. The money was used in oil trading circle and never back to US. US enjoys the two houses almost free. He doesn't have to pay monthly mortgage payment. Not a penny for interest, nor for principle. All the cost was the printing of a green back paper. However, that green back paper - petro dollar, is still a debit note. How long is it? So far it's more than forty years - since dollar became the appointed oil trade currency.

But suddenly, Iran refuses to accept dollar. Japan has to ask US to exchange that one million dollar into Euro or yen. What US  can do is: 1. to get the dollar back by export more merchandise. But he is not able to. He has a trade deficit already. 2. To get the dollar back with gold or foreign currency reserve. But he hasn't that much reserve. 3. To lock up that extra one million dollar in US Bond by raising the interest rate to attract the buyer. But he unwilling to do it. There is a sub-prime crisis in real estate market. Any interest increase will further devalue the house. Feds holds a large amount of real estates in my case, they don't allow such thing to happen. So to solve the problem, they go to the fourth option. 4. By pushing up the oil price.

France (other oil consumption countries) keeps one million dollar as oil trading fund. How much does he need if the oil price doubled? Two million. Thus the one million dollar Japan abandoned is absorbed by France. That's why the oil price jumped like crazy in recent days - a tricky way to keep US dollar from collapsing.

US has to pay for high oil price too. Ordinary people bear the cost. But the high oil price will hurt the economy. The condition won't last long. So war on Iran is unavoidable.

 Of course, US is a "democratic" country. It can't start a war because others refusing to use its currency. Then beware of another 911 style false flag attack.

We know there was an incident of live nuclear head weapons being carried over the continental US by a B-52 last August. There is attempt of dirty bomb attack in Houston this year.

 Quote, "State of Emergency: The US in the Final Six Months of the George W. Bush Administration
by Lewis Seiler and Dan Hamburg

June 13, 2008 by CommonDreams.org
.......

Former National Security Agency analyst and naval intelligence officer Wayne Madsen has been in Houston investigating the Carnaby case at great personal risk. Madsen believes Carnaby was involved both in heading off a potential war with Iran (by leaking Mossad plans to assassinate Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah just days before Carnaby himself was killed) and in trying to forestall a potential terrorist attack on the port.

According to Madsen, “federal agents in Houston fear that ‘another 9/11-type part false flag’ attack is imminent, perhaps as early as July 4.”.......

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/13/9596/

Another time factor for Iran war is the Olympic Game in August. China has interest in Iran. He is an oil customer of Iran. Olympic Game could be an extortion chip for China's support in Iran war.

Banned From U.S. Banks, Russian Oil Giant Turns To Even Bigger Banks In China

Russian state owned oil company Gazprom is turning to China for foreign sources of capital now that the U.S. and European financial markets are closed to them.

Beijing is trying to open its capital markets, and lending to foreign institutions is par for the course. Gazprom make for a solid borrower, with tons of collateral in the form of gold…black gold that is.  For Gazprom, Chinese interest rates aren’t as low as what Western banks can offer. But they are still more attractive than Russian banks. China’s benchmark interest rate is 6%, while Russia’s rate is 8%.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2014/10/15/banned-from-u-s-banks-russian-oil-giant-turns-to-even-bigger-banks-in-china/?partner=yahootix

The Kerry-Abdullah Secret Deal And An Oil-Gas Pipeline War On Iran, Syria And Russia


By ​​​​F. William Engdahl

27 October, 2014

 Engdahl.oilgeopolitics.net
 

http://www.countercurrents.org/engdahl271014.htm

The Cost Of Putin’s Ukrainian Adventure: Russia’s Currency Is Plummeting

 

The Russian ruble is worth 41% less, in dollar terms, than it was on January 1. U.S. and E.U. sanctions, plus a big drop in oil prices, are to blame. posted on Nov. 6, 2014,

The Russian currency, the ruble, has plummeted this year, hitting fresh lows of 46 rubles to the dollar on Thursday. It traded at 40 rubles to the dollar just in the last month, and has depreciated 41.8% this year.

That means that if you had $100 worth of rubles on January 1, they would be worth less than $60 today.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewzeitlin/the-cost-of-putins-ukrainian-adventure-russias-currency-is-p

Russia still adding to gold reserves big time

 

With an addition of 18.7 tonnes in October, Russia continues to build up its gold reserves.

 

Author: Lawrence Williams

 Posted: Friday , 21 Nov 2014

 

LONDON (Mineweb) - 

 

The latest announcement from the Russian Central Bank shows that the nation is still accumulating gold at a high level. Total gold reserves according to figures compiled by Nick Laird of www.sharelynx.com have now reached 1,169 tonnes having been expanded by a further 600,000 ounces (18.7 tonnes) in October.

http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/content/en/mineweb-gold-news?oid=260489&sn=Detail