Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not exactly going as planned.
Putin certainly did not expect the Ukrainians to slap around the invading Russian troops so easily.
And busted-up morale, busted-up equipment, and busted-up egos are really putting a dent in the Russian dictator’s ambitions to swallow an entire nation without the fear of choking.
Putin’s foreign minister also told reporters that the Kremlin did not expect it would have its currency reserves frozen either, claiming the sanctions were too harsh and that it amounted to thievery.
Indeed, you can’t deny that freezing a foreign nation’s currency reserves is theft. It absolutely is. But I find it uncomfortably hilarious that Putin believes murdering thousands of innocent people in Ukraine while attempting to steal their land does not warrant extreme measures.
Of course, the entire situation is extreme.
Just ask the deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, who recently warned of a nuclear dystopia if the U.S. continued attacking the country, noting a “long-term plot to destroy Russia.”
Medvedev said the U.S. has conspired to destroy Russia as a part of a primitive game since 1991 and that the Kremlin would never allow Russia’s destruction.
I believe him. But the reality is that the West does not benefit from a “destroyed” Russia as such a thing would not allow for the free flow of goods and services between Russia and the West, which, of course, is what serves a very valuable mechanism of peace.
In fact, it’s a prime example of how free trade instigates prosperity and stability. However, it can also be used as leverage, as we’re seeing now.
The problem, of course, is that Putin couldn’t care less about peace and prosperity.
He couldn’t care less if his people starve.
For Putin, it’s all about power and ego.
Make no mistake: Putin will burn the whole world to the ground before succumbing to Western demands or the continuation of a free Ukraine.
And that’s what should give everyone pause. 
I’m not saying Putin will launch a nuclear attack on the West, but he’s sure as hell not going to relent. He is driven, calculated, and can play the long game because he has nothing to lose.
So what does that mean for the rest of the world?
It means supply disruptions will continue.
Food shortages will continue.
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Fear will continue.
And other nations hostile to the West will absolutely use this war as leverage to milk this crisis for everything it’s worth.
As an investor, you have to be prepared for this to last well into the summer and likely beyond.
This is particularly true when it comes to oil.
Some analysts are predicting $200 oil by the end of the year, with a few suggesting this is actually part of Putin’s plan.
I’m not sure if it’ll get that high (or that such a thing has been planned by Putin), but I wouldn’t be surprised to see $150-per-barrel oil in the near term.
One potential respite to high oil prices could be the completion of the Iran nuclear deal, which would allow Iranian oil to flow back into the market. This could reduce oil prices by as much as 10%.
The problem, however, is that it’ll take at least 10 months for that production to fully recover. Markets will react positively to such a deal, but it won’t take long for investors to realize that the dream of increased oil flow from Iran will be a dream deferred.
If and when that Iran nuclear deal materializes, look for oil to sell off a bit, but then buy the dip.
And, of course, commodity prices will remain strong this year too. This is particularly good news for domestic miners who will continue to crush it as U.S. and Canadian policies are now favoring the domestic mining of everything from nickel and copper to cobalt and lithium.
In fact, my colleague Keith Kohl has been riding the domestic lithium wave for a while now and continues to make an absolute fortune on one company in particular.
The company just recently announced a 277% increase in revenues, and it received the permits it needs to move forward with getting its new facility up and running. This will be the first lithium recycling facility in North America and is expected to come online in less than a year.
I’ve personally been profiting from this one, and I would encourage you to do the same — especially now, while wars rage on and commodity prices continue to soar.
Get a piece of this action for yourself.
To a new way of life and a new generation of wealth…
Jeff Siegel
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Jeff is the founder and managing editor of Green Chip Stocks. For more on Jeff, go to his editor’s page.
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P.S. If you enjoyed what I talked about today, I have a feeling you’re going to really enjoy what my colleague Jason Simpkins is up to. He’s exposing extraordinary investment opportunities in the fields of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, cybersecurity, aerospace, quantum computing, and so many others. He’ll be treading through the clandestine world of “Black Budget” government funding and sharing what he finds through his investigative series called Secret Stock Files. A special prescreening of Jason’s series has been scheduled, and all you have to do is sign up here to secure your spot.
