As we wait to see who is responsible for the Nord Stream pipeline “leak”, and how it will be capped off, there is no lack of accusations circulating, in the greater european community and around the world, as to who’s to blame, for this obvious interruption of the badly needed services, that this pipeline affords. Further, with Russia at war with Ukraine, it stands to reason that this pipeline would be at risk. War is unpredictable, can get very complex very quickly, and it should be obvious to the Biden administration, that someone needs to step up to the plate, and work towards a cease-fire there - so that America doesn’t end up in a nuclear holocaust.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin said that it cannot rule out “sabotage” as the cause of significant damage to the Nord Stream pipeline network that carries gas from Russia to Germany. Then on the opposite side of the fence, various European officials turned their purview, upon Russia as a potential suspect. As it is, the Nord Stream AG consortium called the multiple leaks in both of its Baltic Sea pipelines “unprecedented” and said on Tuesday, it was-
“not yet possible to estimate the timing of the restoration of the gas transport infrastructure.”
-Nord Stream AG Consortium
Earlier this year, Russia had stopped sending gas to Germany, in retaliation for sanctions against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, using maintenance as a ruse. However, the pipelines were still filled with gas. It is now estimated that up to 177 million cubic meters of gas, may have already leaked from the breach, in Nord Stream 2, with an as-yet-unknown, environmental impact.
There is currently the risk of an explosion, however the environmental analysts claim, that the gas would likely disperse enough in the Baltic waters to make an explosion doubtful. Advising ships to stay at least five nautical miles away, the Danish maritime authority, issued an advisory that the Nord Stream 2 leak is “dangerous for ship traffic”.
On Tuesday, Sweden’s state broadcast network, SVT, cited data from the Swedish National Seismic Network that strongly suggested powerful underwater explosions, occurred in the vicinity of the gas leaks on Monday. One explosion, was large enough to be picked up by 30 different Swedish monitoring stations. A seismology lecturer, Bjorn Lund, with the Swedish National Seismic Network, claimed that “There is no doubt that it was a blast,” adding that the area in question, was not normally used for naval exercises that might explain the detonations, and said his network has received no information, about such exercises taking place that day.
The Eurasia Group, a risk consulting firm, also said on Tuesday-
“The multiple undersea leaks mean neither pipeline will likely deliver any gas to the EU over the coming winter, irrespective of political developments in the Ukraine war. Depending on the scale of the damage, the leaks could even mean a permanent closure of both lines,” adding ”Leaks of this size are a severe safety and environmental hazard, especially should Russia not stop pumping gas into the system,”
-The Eurasia Group, A Risk Consulting Firm
Additionally, on Monday, the German government had stated-
“We are currently in contact with the authorities concerned in order to clarify the situation. We still have no clarity about the causes and the exact facts,”
-German Government Officials
Then on Tuesday morning, Germany declared its suspicion that, the damage to Nord Stream, was caused by “sabotage,” Then adding to the accusations, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki declared, on Tuesday, at the opening ceremony for another pipeline connecting Norway to Poland-
“Today we faced an act of sabotage, we don’t know all the details of what happened, but we see clearly that it’s an act of sabotage, related to the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine,”
-Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki
Next, came Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen observations that-
“We are talking about three leaks with some distance between them, and that’s why it is hard to imagine that it is a coincidence,”
-Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
Ukraine also added to the accusations, calling the pipeline breaches a “terrorist attack” perpetrated by Moscow, to permanently compromise Europe’s fuel supply, and perhaps to render void - gigantic lawsuits from Russia’s gas customers, by creating a legal status which would allow Russia to skip out on its’ responsibilities, because this was an unforeseeable occurrence – like creating an “act of God” event.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, said at a press conference, on Tuesday-
“This is very concerning news. Indeed, we are talking about some damage of an unclear nature to the pipeline in Denmark’s economic zone. This is an issue related to the energy security of the entire continent,”
- Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin Spokesperson
Still adding to the general concern, Anders Puck Nielsen, Royal Danish Defense College researcher, found the timing of the explosions “conspicuous” given the opening of the rival Poland-Norway pipeline on the same day. Nielsen stated that the Nord Stream sabotage might have been-
“a signal that something could happen to the Norwegian gas.” adding that “The arrow points in the direction of Russia. No one in the West is interested in having any kind of instability in the energy market,”
-Anders Puck Nielsen, Royal Danish Defense College Researcher
In addition to those who weighed in, as above, some put forward theories pointing to radical environmentalists, determined to keep Europe from relying on fossil fuels, or even the words of U.S. President Joe Biden, who blurted in a February interview, that his administration would “bring an end”, to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, if Russia invaded Ukraine. Reportedly, Biden replied when asked by a reporter, how he would propose shutting down an undersea pipeline controlled by Germany-
“I promise you, we will be able to do that,”
-President Joe Biden
On Tuesday, a seemingly annoyed European security source, told Reuters, after contemplating the inordinately long list of suspects-
“There are some indications that it is deliberate damage. You have to ask: Who would profit?”
- European Security Source
Again, while all these officials, entities, and theorists search for answers to this crime, America needs to take a bold stand against the coming uncertainty of Russia’s war in the Ukraine. With Joe (warm and fuzzy) Biden, being run by his handlers, in the White House, America looks like a weak, sitting duck. When Biden shot of his mouth, on record, as above, he cast possible blame on the U.S. It remains to be seen how his reaction to the whole event, will play out. Left to Joe Biden and his ilk – this nation, could very well end up in a nuclear war, sooner than later.
“If they want peace, nations should avoid the pin-pricks that precede cannon shots
-Napoleon Bonapart