Yesterday, we reported on the fact that Biden’s sanctions on Russia went well beyond that which was contemplated prior (However, Biden has yet to put an embargo on Russian oil, we reported that he had. It is still being discussed). Additionally, Germany and Italy have humiliated themselves in front of the world by only tentatively joining the sanctions, putting their own interests first.

But the sanctions that Biden announced stung, badly. President Biden froze over One trillion dollars of Russian assets held in the United States, accounts holding everything from Putin’s billions to savings of individual Russians (though branches in Russia can likely help small accounts).  We know the announcements stung because they prompted this bizarre response from Dmitry Rogozin, the chief of the Russian space corporation Roscosmos,

“If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall into the United States or Europe?” tweeted Rogozin in Russian. “There is also the option of dropping a 500-ton structure on India or China. Do you want to threaten them with such a prospect? The ISS does not fly over Russia, so all the risks are yours. Are you ready for them?”

What. The. Fck?

Just from a practical standpoint, there is no way this guy can direct the Space Station to fall in any one area. They may be able to hit a continent, anything more specific would be dicey. But the more obvious question is, if Russia’s response to sanctions involves things falling out of the sky and blowing stuff up, they have FAR better equipment made to do just that.

Now, of course, he was mostly whining that his company wouldn’t have the money to keep the Space Station in orbit. Perhaps that means they should put it up for sale?

Was this guy just talking out of his asteroid? Or is there real worry in Russia about whether Russia can withstand the sanctions? We will see.

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[email protected] with Nicole Miciak