The “war” of the pipelines: The double blow from Russia and the recriminations with the USA

The energy war that has erupted between Russia and the West since last Spring and after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is in full swing, with tension escalating after the gas leak caused by the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines.

The West openly accuses Moscow of sabotage, although the causes of the leak are still unknown, while the Kremlin, for its part, leaves open the possibility that some sabotage has actually taken place, leaving clear hints that an American finger is behind it.

Fire Moscow v US

Claims that Russia is somehow behind an attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines are “stupid and absurd”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today, adding that Moscow had seen a sharp rise in profits for US companies supplying gas to Europe.

“The American president is obliged to answer the question of whether the United States carried out its threat,” the spokeswoman for Russian diplomacy said on Telegram on Tuesday morning. Maria Zakharova, referring to a statement by US President Joe Biden in early February that Washington would “put an end” to Nord Stream 2 if Moscow intervened militarily in Ukraine. “If Russia invades (Ukraine), then there will be no more Nord Stream 2,” Joe Biden said on February 7, two weeks before the Russian invasion began.

The American president “must be responsible for his words. Europe must learn the truth,” he added.

The response from the White House came a little later through the mouth of the representative of the White House National Security Council, Adrienne Watson. It is “ridiculous” for Russia to imply that the US may be responsible for the Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks. We all know that Russia has been spreading disinformation for a long time and is doing it again in this case,” he noted.

Double “hit” from Russia

For the last six months, Europe has been struggling to find solutions to the energy war that Russia has declared against it in retaliation for the sanctions imposed on it by the West because of the Ukrainian war. As everything shows, Russia’s plan was two-fold in the face of sanctions. Its goal on the one hand was to cause an inflationary “tsunami” which it has succeeded in as inflation in all European countries has skyrocketed and on the other a destabilized Europe on an economic, political and social level.

The energy war began with Russia first turning off the tap in Poland, Bulgaria last April over refusal to pay in rubles, followed shortly by Finland. The war intensified when Nord Stream was shut down in early September for maintenance, according to Gazprom, with the pipeline only operating at 20% capacity, only to be shut down again later.

The spill in pipelines 1 and 2 between Denmark and Sweden adds to the already tense climate that exists with both sides constantly adding fuel to the fire.

Investigations into the causes of the leak

The Swedish Security Service (Säpo) announced today that it has taken over a preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage that caused the gas pipeline leaks. As stated in a related announcement, Säpo will handle the investigation because “there is a possibility that it is related to a serious crime, which – at least in part – may be directed against Sweden’s national interests” and “the involvement of a foreign power cannot be ruled out.”

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