US spies allegedly told Berlin about a possible pipeline attack “weeks” ago
The CIA warned Berlin about a possible attack on gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea “weeks ago,” German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Tuesday. Germany was looking for answers after both of Russia’s Nord Stream pipelines were damaged and a massive gas leak appeared off the Danish island of Bornholm.
A tip from the US spy agency was “received in Berlin during the summer,” the outlet said, citing “several people familiar with the matter.” Officially, however, the federal government declined to comment on intelligence-related matters.
German security services are currently examining satellite imagery of the area where the explosions occurred, but see only “unremarkable” naval traffic, according to Spiegel. They are also convinced only a state actor could have done this, suggesting “divers or a mini-submarine” could have installed mines or explosives on the pipeline.
Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 both suddenly lost pressure on Monday. Danish authorities reported a gas leak off Bornholm, while Swedish seismologists registered multiple explosions. The pipeline operator confirmed multiple gas lines suffered “unprecedented” damage and it was impossible to estimate when, or if, service might be restored.
US speaks out on claims of ‘sabotage’ on Russia’s Nord Stream READ MORE: US speaks out on claims of ‘sabotage’ on Russia’s Nord Stream
By Monday evening, the German government was convinced the pipeline was targeted in a deliberate attack, according to the daily Tagesspiegel. Berlin was considering the possibility Ukraine or “Ukraine-affiliated forces” could be behind it, but also a “false flag” by Russia to make Ukraine look bad and drive EU energy prices even higher.
While acknowledging that the “permanent interruption of gas supplies from Russia” would be in Ukraine’s interest, Der Spiegel said such an attack would have “immense political disadvantages” for Kiev. The only motive for Moscow to blow up the pipeline, according to the magazine, would be to “blame other parties for the incident.”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for an investigation to get “full clarity” on what happened with the pipeline. “Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable and will lead to the strongest possible response,” she tweeted.
US praised for Nord Stream explosion READ MORE: US praised for Nord Stream explosion
Earlier on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said an attack on Nord Stream was “in no one’s interest,” but that it also represented a “significant opportunity” for Europe to abandon Russian natural gas in favor of alternative energy supplies, presumably such as US LNG, and “accelerate the transition to renewables” in order to fight climate change.
Meanwhile, Polish MEP Radislaw Sikorski thanked the US for the gas explosion, and argued that it means Russia will not have to negotiate with Ukraine and Poland if it wishes to deliver gas to Central Europe.
The sabotage of Nord Stream 1 and 2 targets the desire of Germany to negotiate peace with Russia in an effort to safe the German industry from total collapse. This goal to find a settlement is the reason why Germany is refusing to send Leopard II tanks etc. to Ukraine.
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) September 28, 2022
From #Sweden and #Denmark
— Investigative Agent (@AliciaandAlicia) September 28, 2022
Methan (CH4) makes around 85-95% of natural gas or LNG. Additionally Ethan (C2H6), Butan (C4H10) and Propane (C3H8) are part of it
Has a big impact on the Baltic Sea, fish and even people....just so you know....that this could lead to prosecution!
The United States has violated UN charters, and now they have just violated NATO article 5 but by attacking Germany, the United States has, its complicated, declared war on NATO. This US vs Germany rivalry is a shaking development in world politics.
— femme Xi (@femmexi) September 28, 2022
America's entire military is focused on #Kaliningrad
— UkraineNews (@Ukraine66251776) September 28, 2022
They are pushing for World War III
If sabotaging the #Nordstream could not trigger a nuclear war - they will resort to something more drastic
Expect a major false flag from the father of false flags#NATORussiaWar
Germany will now have to pay transit fees to Ukraine & Poland for gas.
— Syrian Girl (@Partisangirl) September 28, 2022
Also a new Norway-Poland Baltic Pipeline opened today!
What a coincidence! #NordStream2 #Nordstream
pic.twitter.com/LOkoQO9eE1
It's official - Olaf Scholz is officially the dumbest weakest f#ck that has ever led a country, or rather continent, to complete economic destruction. Congratulations Olaf!
— Garland Nixon (@GarlandNixon) September 27, 2022
ドイツ政府からの反応がまだ聞こえません。ロシアの偽旗作戦の可能性があるとしてごまかしたかったのでしょうが、証拠が出てきてショルツは無能首相のレッテルが貼られました。
BREAKING: Russia says it is 'stupid and absurd' to accuse it of sabotaging Nord Stream 1 pipeline
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) September 28, 2022
Kremlin says Nord Stream explosions ‘a big problem for Russia’
Damage to the natural gas pipelines will bring nothing but ruin for both Russia and EU, says spokesperson Dmitry Peskov
The Kremlin has denounced as “stupid and absurd” any allegations of it being behind the suspected explosions of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines earlier this week, stating that the incident actually creates many issues for Russia.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov explained that the damage to the pipelines posed a “big problem” for Russia as it had essentially lost its gas supply routes to Europe.
Both lines of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline were pumped full of gas and were prepared to deliver it to Europe at the time of the alleged explosion, said Peskov, adding that “this gas is very expensive and now it is all going up in the air.”
Peskov also noted that neither Russia nor Europe had anything to gain from the destruction of the pipelines, especially Germany, for which this incident poses a threat to the future development of its industry, as well as its profitability and competitiveness.
American LNG suppliers, on the other hand, have been making incredible profits after having multiplied their deliveries to the European continent, Peskov pointed out, adding that these companies are “very interested in maintaining these super-duper profits in the future.”
While no suspects behind the incident have officially been named, the Kremlin spokesperson advised against making any official announcements before a proper investigation into the incident is carried out.
Russia issues emergency call to UN Security Council READ MORE: Russia issues emergency call to UN Security Council
Peskov did, however, draw attention to US President Joe Biden’s statements from early February, when the American leader threatened to “bring an end” to Nord Stream 2. “What the US president meant by that, we don’t know,” admitted the Kremlin official, but highlighted the “borderline insane hysterical-euphoric reaction” of Polish officials who have already thanked Washington for sabotaging the pipeline.
The Kremlin’s response comes after some European and Kiev officials, including President Vladimir Zelensky’s adviser Mikhail Podolyak, suggested that the attack on the pipeline was a “false flag” operation carried out by Russia in order to make Ukraine look bad and to further drive energy prices up in the EU.
However, after the former Polish FM publicly thanked the US for the apparent sabotage on Twitter, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova urged the EU to treat the US as the possible culprit behind the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines. She said Moscow would call for a UN Security Council session over the incident.
READ MORE: Ex-Polish FM thanks US for destruction of Russian gas pipeline
A number of Western nations have repeatedly opposed Russia’s undersea pipelines delivering gas to Europe, both before and after Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine. The recently built Nord Stream 2 network, which never went into operation due to Germany’s refusal to certify it, has drawn particular opposition from countries like the US and Poland, which has called for the pipeline to be “totally scrapped.”
クレムリンは、今週初めに発生した天然ガスパイプライン「ノルドストリーム」の爆発事故の背後にロシアがいるという疑惑について、「愚かでばかげたこと」と非難し、この事件は実際にロシアにとって多くの問題を引き起こすものであると述べている。
ドミトリー・ペスコフ報道官は水曜日に記者会見し、パイプラインの損傷はロシアにとって「大きな問題」であり、ヨーロッパへのガス供給路を実質的に失ったと説明した。
ペスコフ報道官は、ノルドストリーム2パイプラインの両ラインは、爆発が起きた時点ではガスを満タンに汲み上げてヨーロッパに供給する準備をしていたと述べ、「このガスは非常に高価で、今はすべて空中に浮いてしまっている」と付け加えた。
また、ペスコフ氏は、ロシアもヨーロッパもパイプラインの破壊によって得るものはなく、特にドイツにとっては、この事件は将来の産業の発展や収益性、競争力に対する脅威となるものだとも指摘した。
一方、アメリカのLNG供給会社は、ヨーロッパ大陸への供給量を増やし、信じられないほどの利益を上げているとペスコフ氏は指摘し、これらの会社は「今後もこの超ド級の利益を維持することに大きな関心を寄せている」とも付け加えた。
この事件の背後にいる容疑者は公式には名指しされていないが、クレムリン報道官は、この事件に対する適切な調査が行われる前に公式発表を行うことを避けるよう忠告した。
しかしペスコフは、2月上旬にバイデン米大統領がノルドストリーム2を「終わらせる」と脅した発言に注目しました。「米国大統領が何を言いたかったのかはわからない」とクレムリン当局者は認めたが、ポーランド当局者がパイプラインを妨害したことをワシントンに感謝した「非常識とも言えるヒステリックで陶酔的な反応」を強調した。
クレムリンの反応は、ウラジーミル・ゼレンスキー大統領の顧問ミハイル・ポドリャクを含む一部のヨーロッパとキエフの高官が、パイプラインへの攻撃は、ウクライナを悪者に仕立て上げ、EUでのエネルギー価格をさらに上昇させるためにロシアが行った「偽旗」作戦だと示唆した後のことだ。
しかし、ポーランドの前首相がTwitterで、明らかに破壊工作を行った米国に公に感謝した後、ロシア外務省のマリア・ザハロワ報道官は、EUに対し、ノルドストリーム・パイプラインへの攻撃の背後にいる可能性のある犯人として米国を扱うように促した。彼女は、モスクワがこの事件に関して国連安全保障理事会を開催するよう求めると述べた。
西側諸国の多くは、モスクワがウクライナで軍事作戦を開始する前も後も、ロシアがヨーロッパにガスを供給する海底パイプラインに繰り返し反対してきた。最近建設されたノルドストリーム2ネットワークは、ドイツが認証を拒否したために稼働することはなかったが、アメリカやポーランドなどの国から特に反対を受けており、ポーランドはこのパイプラインを "完全に廃棄" するよう要求している。
The CIA warned about it, Joe Biden and Victoria Nuland promised the US will do it, and Radosław Sikorski thanked the US for doing it. I mean, is there any doubt who is behind the sabotage attack on NS pipelines?
— Hassan Mafi (@thatdayin1992) September 28, 2022
The attack on #Nordstream is not unprecedented. There was a similar incident in the past: the Siberian gas pipeline sabotage which was considered one of the most successful CIA operations against Russian critical infrastructure https://t.co/cTKdnYR742
— Dilyana Gaytandzhieva (@dgaytandzhieva) September 29, 2022
ドイツは契約上、2030年まで少なくとも年間400億立方メートルのロシア産ガスを購入することが義務づけられている。拒否された場合、ガスプロムはガスを供給することなく金銭を受け取る権利を有する。
— Акичка (@4mYeeFHhA6H1OnF) September 28, 2022
今、制裁のために、ドイツは必要なガスを手に入れられず、その代金を支払う義務を負っている。 pic.twitter.com/ZOzZOs0SPB
BREAKING: President Trump has offered to step in and mediate a peace deal between Russia, Ukraine and the US pic.twitter.com/TNfdChcoam
— Jack Posobiec XLV (@JackPosobiec) September 28, 2022