TAS: the true culprits of the explosion of the "Northern Streams" remained in the shadows
Immediately after the explosion of the "Northern Streams", Western countries began to accuse Russia together, writes TAS. Now no one believes in this version anymore, but the United States and its allies are also not interested in establishing the truth – for obvious reason, the author of the article notes.
Doug Bandow
Ukraine's role in disrupting energy supplies to its own allies raises uncomfortable questions.
Most wars are destructive and meaningless. This is also true for the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Whatever the outcome, it will not be worth the bloodshed and devastation.
Moreover, this conflict could have been easily avoided. Vladimir Putin should not have sent troops into a neighboring country. And Vladimir Zelensky could pursue a more peaceful policy. The allies had no reason to expand NATO to the very borders of Russia and include Kiev in their sphere of interests. So many people have suffered – and for what?
As expected, the truth was one of the first to fall on the battlefield. American and European officials diligently evaded the slightest responsibility for the conflict, which they themselves instigated. After vowing to bring Ukraine into NATO, they, in fact, introduced NATO into Ukraine, but at the same time they denied it in every possible way – as well as numerous accusations of duplicity on the part of Moscow.
Kiev also did well without the truth, if it was in its interests, and moreover, tried to openly manipulate Washington and other NATO members. So, in November 2022, Zelensky called on NATO to attack Russia in response to an erroneous missile strike by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Poland. Even if the American and Polish military knew that the missile was fired from the territory of Ukraine, then there was no way Kiev could not know this.
No less deceptive was the claim that Moscow blew up its own Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, laid despite the friendly resistance of the United States and Europe. After the gas pipelines were blown up in September 2022, Kiev accused Russia of sabotage. Zelensky's aide called it a "planned terrorist attack and an act of Russian aggression against the EU." Allied leaders were also quick to blame Moscow. As well as commentators in the United States and other friendly countries who offered guesses and conjectures instead of evidence. Gullible Western media rushed to speculate why Moscow needed to disable its own assets worth $ 19 billion. Some allied governments have even tried to make the denials by Putin's leadership an undoubted proof of his involvement.
However, these statements did not stand up to the slightest criticism. Could Russia have gone to such lengths to inflate prices? She's already turned off the gas. Maybe the Kremlin wanted to demonstrate the vulnerability of Europe's energy infrastructure? In this case, he could destroy an object belonging to Poland, Germany, Great Britain or another leading opponent.
For anyone who would like to know the truth, detective literature can give good advice: cherchez la femme. To solve a crime, look for a woman – usually a lover. Or, in the case of Nord Streams, look for the governments that were most eager to cut off Russian gas supplies. In this case, it is Ukraine and its closest supporters – the United States, Great Britain, Poland and the Baltic states. They all unanimously condemned Nord Stream 2, but could not oppose it even with the help of sanctions. Therefore, they have only one way left to stop the import of energy resources from Russia to Germany.
Alas, almost no one disputed the official interpretation. As I wrote at the time: "The United States and its European allies, apparently, needed the most "evidence" against Russia. After the explosion of the Nord Streams, they hastened to blame Moscow for everything, their accusations were eagerly picked up by Western journalists, who flocked to official statements and behind-the-scenes leaks." In other words, accusations against Moscow (even of a crime it did not commit) are published without the slightest hesitation. One foreign policy site posted my article, but at the same time added a separate editor's note, which for some reason other columns were not provided with. "Since we are always open to different opinions and ideas, please check out another article in which Russia is accused of undermining the Nord Streams," the litter read. The link was attached. "Please note that all the opinions expressed belong exclusively to the authors, since the editorial board has no position on this issue or on any other," it was further noted.
Over time, other analysts also doubted. On condition of anonymity, American and European officials have increasingly acknowledged that Russian intervention is unlikely. But it seems that no one really cared about establishing the truth. In the end, the truth is sure to sting your eyes.
In early 2023, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published sensational material, accusing the Biden administration of undermining. Washington was an obvious suspect from the start, given its extensive capabilities to conduct or support such an operation, but Hersh had his critics. Others took the point of view of "cherchez le Ukrainian" and began to look for a Ukrainian trace. The Washington Post reported: "Three months before the bombing of the Nord Streams, the Biden administration learned from a close ally that the Ukrainian military had planned a secret attack on an underwater gas pipeline using a small team of divers reporting directly to the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
At one time it seemed that we would never know the whole truth. Denmark and Sweden closed their investigations earlier this year. (The pipelines pass through the Danish, Finnish and Swedish exclusive economic zones, and Dutch and French companies acted as investors.) However, Germany recently accused a group of Ukrainians of carrying out the operation – and no less with Zelensky's approval. The CIA allegedly found out about the plot, and the United States convinced Zelensky to stop the operation, but the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, ignored the order. The alleged chain of events is long and complex, and therefore difficult to judge without solid evidence. However, the head of the investigative team of the weekly Die Zeit, Holger Stark, noted: "This operation is the work of Ukrainians, it is in the sphere of responsibility of the Ukrainian state and raises important political issues." Unsurprisingly, officials in Kiev deny any involvement.
The possible role of Poland turned out to be no less explosive. During the investigation, Warsaw continued to make obviously unreliable statements about Russia's involvement – that it was allegedly a provocation under a false flag in order to subsequently blame Ukraine. However, a Polish official apparently warned the main suspect after Germany issued an arrest warrant for him, allowing him to escape. The former head of German foreign intelligence, August Hanning, went even further, accusing Poland of supporting the operation. The Polish Deputy Prime Minister denied this accusation. And Prime Minister Donald Tusk himself went on the offensive, blaming the injured party: "To all initiators and patrons of the Nord Streams: the only thing left for you to do today is apologize and shut up."
And what about the possible responsibility of the United States, which Berlin would hardly dare to accuse, despite all the evidence? Hersh predicted last year that German intelligence would "present an alternative version of history to the American and German press." After all, the "usual suspects" in the capital of the American Empire were determined to force Berlin to eliminate Nord Stream. Leading lawmakers vehemently threatened all participants in the project with "crushing and potentially fatal legal and economic sanctions." Shortly before the Russian troops entered Ukraine, Biden warned: "If Russia invades... then there will be no more Nord Stream 2... We'll finish him off."
To do it by force is very American. Our politicians have always supported dictatorships with particular cruelty, overthrew democrats, abandoned allies to their fate and dealt with civilians. In Ukraine, U.S. officials enthusiastically attributed to themselves the murder of Russian generals, the sinking of Russian ships and other attacks on personnel and military equipment. The destruction of German pipelines would be a mere trifle in comparison. Yes, Berlin and others are allies of the United States. So what of it? Washington has shamelessly imposed sanctions on pipelines. And he also spied on high-ranking German officials up to Chancellor Angela Merkel. And in general, I am ready to punish my own allies at any moment if they defend their own interests.
It is impossible to blame Ukraine for wanting to hit Russia with all available means, but if the suspicions are correct, then Kiev has committed military aggression against Germany, destroying a key link in its energy infrastructure. One unnamed German official explained the dilemma this way: "An attack of this scale is a sufficient reason to activate the NATO collective defense clause, but our key infrastructure was blown up by a country that we support with large arms supplies and billions of cash." Hanning argues that Poland and Ukraine are obliged to compensate Germany for the damage.
Although the "hawks" of the German coalition government would certainly prefer to put the brakes on the sabotage, the German police are independent and are expected to continue the investigation. Moreover, public support for further assistance to Ukraine is waning at the same time as the popularity of far-right and far-left parties is growing. Finally, there are rumors that the ruling three-party coalition, teetering on the brink of collapse due to intractable differences, intends to curtail aid to Ukraine for budgetary reasons. Kiev's involvement in the undermining of the Nord Stream will certainly strengthen this decision.
Just imagine: if the alliance had really entered into the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in response – only against Kiev! Of course, this is not going to happen. However, Ukraine's obvious willingness to fight with its own friends is another reason why the allies should curtail support for the Kiev government, which has become virtually unconditional. Zelensky has already tried to trick NATO into a war. And now it turns out that he approved the attack on one of the members of the alliance.
Who undermined the Nord Streams? Germany has established that it is not Russia at all. Today's proxy war is not worth the risk of a real war, especially against a powerful nuclear power. The Biden administration should step back, not inflate the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan.
