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20 hrs ago
Putin accused of sabotage over Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions
Ships warned to stay away from five-mile exclusion zone around Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on bed of the Baltic Sea
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Vladimir Putin was on Tuesday accused of sabotage after a series of underwater explosions caused “unprecedented” damage to pipelines built to supply Europe with gas.
Ships were warned to stay away from a five-mile exclusion zone around the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on the bed of the Baltic Sea amid fears they could sink in methane bubbles stretching up to 1,000 metres.
Low-flying aircraft were also banned from the exclusion zone to avoid disaster if the gas ignited.
“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,” said Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland’s prime minister.
European governments including Germany, Denmark and Norway believe the leaks were caused by sabotage rather than by accident. Sweden’s National Seismic Network said the largest of the explosions was equivalent to more than 100kg of dynamite.
Norway has increased security at all its gas installations after the explosions and reports of unidentified drones near some of them. “Based on the information we have seen so far, much indicates acts of sabotage,” Terje Aasland, the Norwegian oil and energy minister, said.
US authorities had warned Germany about possible attacks on gas pipelines in the Baltics weeks ago, Spiegel magazine reported as other German media cited sources blamed a targeted attack for the leaks.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, blamed Russia for a “terrorist attack” against the EU and called on Berlin to speed up supplies of weapons to Kyiv.
Nord Stream AG, the operator of the network, said damage to the pipelines was “unprecedented” and it was not possible to work out a timeframe for repairs.
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The questions no doubt being asked in the boardrooms of energy intensive German companies is will either of these gas pipelines by repaired again?
Clearly the unique selling point of cheap Russian gas direct to Germany enjoyed by the metal bashers and chemical companies in Germany is gone, perhaps for many years. Certainly while Putin remains in power. Many of those German companies have plants in countries closer to Russia due to the German demographic problem of a rapidly ageing workforce in a country with full employment.
Take Volkswagen. Plants in Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia in the Made by a German Company Brand. Not made anymore just in Germany. For those German Companies Board of Directors whose products are no longer competitive while high energy costs remain and so decide to cut costs by closing or mothballing plants which do they target first?
The whole strategic purpose of the Nord Stream Gas pipelines, both 1 & 2 was Germany would first in the queue for cheap Russian gas. Now it is reliant on market rates for any LNG from say Qatar and the USA from the kindness of its European neighbours in the Eurozone and indeed last in line for gas from Russia via the old Soviet pipelines thru Poland and Ukraine in the medium term.
Germany really should show a little more respect to both Poland and Ukraine in the interests of German industry. Perhaps a word to Brussels to tone down the threats to Poland over matters of sovereignty re Polish law. As for Ukraine the delivery of heavy weapons previously promised but witheld for no reason by Scholz makes little sense for German industry. The direct gas pipelines to Germany have been turn off perhaps permanently.
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Whodunnit? - Facts Related to The Sabotage Attack On The Nord Stream Pipelines
For decades the U.S. opposed European projects to receive energy from Russia. It wants Europe to buy more expensive U.S. oil and gas.
the Lemniscat @theLemniscat - 15:56 UTC · Sep 27, 2022US plan was always to stop EU buying Russia's gas
2014
Rice:"You want to change the structure of energy dependence. You want to depend more on the North America energy platform ... to have pipelines that don't go through Ukraine & Russia"
https://youtube.com/watch?v=aF0uYIjaTNE
Europe's, and especially Germany's industry, depends on cheap energy from Russia. Without it Europe will be de-industrialized and go broke.
The U.S. had threatened to disable the pipelines connecting Europe to Russia.
ABC News @ABC - 9:59pm · 7 Feb 2022Pres. Biden: "If Russia invades...then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it."
Reporter: "But how will you do that, exactly, since...the project is in Germany's control?"
Biden: "I promise you, we will be able to do that."
abcn.ws/3B5SScx
Currently the U.S. is winning its war on Europe's, mainly Germany's, industries and people. Yesterday's sabotage attack on the Nord Stream I and II pipelines, which are supposed to bring Russian natural gas to Germany, mean that the the war on Germany has entered its hot phase.
A question remains: Whodunnit?
* Anyone could have blown up the pipelines. There is no way the pipeline can ever be protected. Russia, the US, Ukraine,...even Greepeace or some other extreme environmental group. The only rational way to move that much gas is thru LPG ships. At least that way, you only lose one ship, and it also allows you to store a lot of gas at your destination. I knew a guy who ran a coal burning plant...he pointed out he could store as many months of coal as the government would allow. Natural gas...about 30 seconds worth. *Cont. reading: Whodunnit? - Facts Related to The Sabotage Attack On The Nord Stream Pipelines
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