The question of who is responsible for the attack on the pipelines is being discussed on social media. The main suspects are currently the United States.
Tons of methane gas have been pouring out of the two pipelines for days North Current 1 and 2between Russia and Germany in the Baltic Sea. The leaks, believed to have been caused by sabotage, have yet to be investigated due to the exclusion zone.
The speculations spread
A statement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reignited speculation. Blinken told a news conference on Friday that the Nord Stream explosions are proving to be a “huge opportunity”. The US is now the most important supplier of liquefied gas to Europe. Now you have the chance to “end once and for all the dependence on Russian energy and thus deprive Vladimir Putin of the opportunity to use energy as a means of pressure to implement his imperial plans”.
Read more: Vulnerable – Europe depends on these pipelines
“Who here has no reason to attack?”
For many commentators on Twitter, Blinken’s statement amounts to an admission of guilt. “It is inconceivable that the US has not participated in this, even in a charitable way,” wrote one. Maximilian Krah, AfD board member, is even more blunt: “Blinken says this openly: the destruction of the Nord Stream is a ‘great opportunity’ to separate Europe from Russian energy. Who has no reason to attack here?” he tweets. Several other tweets follow a similar direction.
sanctions
It has long been clear that the US is against Nord Stream: Americans have been trying for years to persuade Europe to switch from Russian gas to US liquid gas. The US Treasury Department has issued several sanctions against Russian companies or Russian-related companies that were involved in the construction of the pipeline. More recently, in February 2022, Joe Biden also imposed sanctions on the Swiss-based pipeline operating company.
“Furious and counterproductive”
For Marc Finaud and Jean-Marc Rickli, from the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP), there is little to indicate that the United States is responsible for the act of sabotage: according to experts, it cannot be in the interests of the United States. States to target Europe instead of Russia to exert pressure. “Neither is it in their interest to raise gas prices dramatically because of the impact on their own economy,” they recently told 20 Minutes.
caught in action
According to Finaud and Rickli, the fact that the US secret service CIA alerted Germany weeks before the Nord Stream attack also speaks against the theory that the US could have carried out the attack. “It seems absurd and would probably have been counterproductive for the US if they had been caught red-handed. Why should the CIA have warned Germany about possible acts of sabotage in this case?” says Finaud.
Read more: Russian submarines apparently spotted near fourth leak
Navigation account 20 minutes Time02.10.2022, 17:15| Act: 10.02.2022, 17:15