Posted on 09/28/2022 6:12:43 AM PDT by dennisw
German politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann spoke about Russia in an interview with RND about suspected attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines.
Two senior German lawmakers have pointed the finger at Russia over suspected sabotage of Nord Stream. The leaking Russia-to-Europe pipelines are spewing natural-gas into the Baltic Sea.
The Kremlin said claims about Russia's involvement were "predictably stupid and absurd." Two senior German lawmakers have pointed the finger at Russia over suspected sabotage of the Nord Stream natural-gas pipelines.
Roderich Kiesewetter, a government spokesman for crisis prevention, said in a tweet late Tuesday that the attack was an act of sabotage by Russia to deter and threaten Europe.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the Bundestag's defense committee, also named Russia in comments on the suspected attacks to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland news network.
European lawmakers had previously left open the question about who the suspected Nord Stream saboteur could be. None have yet definitively blamed Russia, and Russia has denied it was the perpetrator.
"The longer and more brutal the Russian attack on Ukraine lasts, the greater the risk of such unrestrained attacks," Strack-Zimmermann told RND of the Nord Stream incident, adding: "It cannot be ruled out that they will be directed by Russia in order to shake our markets."
In separate comments to RND, Kiesewetter said: "It is likely that Russia is trying in this way, on the one hand, to stir up uncertainty among the European population and, on the other hand, to once again point out at the state level the possibility of an attack on critical infrastructure."
He added: "Such an act of sabotage would also fit with Russia's state-terrorism and hybrid approach."
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that claims of Russian involvement in the Nord Stream incident were "predictably stupid and absurd," per Kommersant, the Russian newspaper.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
“why would they want to escalate the war? they’re already getting their asses kicked.”
A couple possibilities:
1) Putin’s war against Ukraine is going south quickly, and his recent mobilization appears to be quite unpopular back home. He sees a threat to his power, and he needs a major distraction. And, what better distraction than some kinetic hostilities with the West? If he can paint it as an existential threat to the motherland he might see a rally-round-the-flag moment.
2) He’s nuts.
Total BS propaganda by the all time World’s experts at it - Germany.
It’s like Katyn.
1943: The Russians did it!
1945: The Germans did it!
Today they are reporting one Nordstream 2 pipeline remains operational. This makes it more likely that Russia is behind the sabotage, since it would be a truly humiliating climbdown for Germany to have to open the Nordstream 2 spigot, and it would still open the possibility of renewing income and German dependency on Russian gas.
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that Nordstream was blown up just as the Baltic pipeline came on line. What a bit of bad luck for the Ruskies and good luck for the freezing Germs.
The Russians had already shut off the flow of gas from Nordstream 1, and Nordstream 2 hasn’t yet come on line. Nobody can turn up the flow except for the Russians. Given these facts, why would Russia want to destroy the pipelines that bring it in so much in the way of hard currency earnings? Yes, there’s a dispute now, but that won’t last forever...as the demand for natural gas will - someday, “the spice will flow” and Russia will be earning tens of billions per year again.
The only reason that I can think of is that they might want to frame the US for destroying it, and thereby split the Europeans (and especially the Germans) from us, and thereby halt the flow of arms to Ukraine (and, as a bonus, impede any opposition to future Russian aggression). After all, Grandpa Hairsniffer promised to shut down Nordstream if Russia invaded Ukraine, and Victoria Neuland point blank said that we would destroy it, so framing the US wouldn’t be difficult...or maybe we actually did it in order to force direct conflict with Russia.
What lesson? They will just double down. They will use this to show how everybody needs to stop relying on petrochemicals.
And here is what you will be hearing from the White House and Media.
“The US did not blow up that pipeline because doing so would be an environmental and global warming disaster. But because someone else can do something like this, now would be a great time to buy an electric car.”
Wait and see.
You can see that here, and in the comments on center-right German newspapers. Interestingly, most of the comments in center-left German papers who are usually much more suspicious about the US blame Russia.
The Scandinavians all blame Russia, and Norwegians are asking if attacks on Norwegian energy infrastructure make it possible to invoke NATO Article V.
Called it:
‘Massive drop in pressure – Nord Stream 2 pipeline apparently partially destroyed’
9/27/2022, 12:33:47 PM · 69 of 74
cranked to pierrem15
Have no doubt that Russia will be proclaimed by the West and Western media as the guilty party for the damage, etc., etc., etc.
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Germany just nationalized Gazprom's German holdings, which I believe includes the pipelines.
“This really doesn’t seem like the kind of escalation that would end well for Russia, albeit there will be a LOT of others to suffer. Putin would have to be in a very dark place to to shooting himself in the leg and basically toss the chess board in favor of destruction.”
If he is desperate enough...well, history is full of tyrants and dictators who decided they would not exit the stage meekly.
No way that the Russians did this. Not only is the prospect of earning money very quickly if peace breaks out gone, but more importantly, now Germany has no incentive to split from the US and block the flow of arms to Ukraine, in exchange for the Russians turning back on the spigot.
Cui bono? Who benefits? Certainly not the Russians or Germans. The only possible way that Russia could benefit is if it could frame the US or this, but the goal of splitting the Germans away from NATO policies would be FAR more easily accomplished with a deal to PROVIDE natural gas, not shut it down on a semi-permanent basis.
Travis, of course Russia didn’t blow up their pipes and they didn’t attack themselves at their nuclear power plant either. Nor were they responsible for bucha, the maternity hospital, the theatre attack, etc. Russophobia is worse that Trump Derangement Syndrome. You can sell the ignorant on anything if they are afflicted with Russophobia...:-)
Our “deep state” government is very fortunate that there are so many gullible people who will believe anything so long as it meshes with their wishful thinking. We do not have an intelligent populace.
You can add the following fact to the other rather obvious facts that Russia would have absolutely no reason to do this and every reason not to.
“It doesn’t matter if Nord Stream 1-2 works, Germany is obliged to pay for the gas it didn’t take
Germany is contractually obligated to purchase at least 40 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year until 2030. In case of refusal, Gazprom has the right to receive money without supplying gas.
Now, due to sanctions, Germany does not receive gas in the required volume, but is obliged to pay for it:
“There is one problem - long-term contracts that work on the principle of taking or pay ...”
https://t.me/intelslava/38039“
The pipes being bombed out of existence is going to save Germany from 7 more years of paying for gas it does not get “force majeure.”
What I wish someone could provide a plausible explanation for is why Russia apparently is still “in” the Saudi Arabia peace plan even AFTER NATO (read: U.S.) has committed an enormous terrorist attack on Russia. As part of this plan Russia has even delayed formalizing the referendums for 6 days. I would have thought the Nordstream disaster would have ended those negotiations. Instead, Putin’s spokesman today said that we would continue to liberate Donbass. Sounds like part of this Saudi plan is Russia stops then.
As Gonzalo Lira said, “Why would Russia blow up its own pipelines? They have shut-off valves...Righty tighty, Lefty loosey.”
Russia did NOT blow up the pipelines. The United States Navy did it. It was an act of war against the entire continent of Europe.
We Americans are being governed now by thoroughly wicked, godless people committing wicked, godless acts. American leaders now are lunatics and warmongers.
Don’t believe Biden don’t believe Putin...
What a bunch of useless left-wing girl scouts they have running Germany.
Biden and Nuland both threatened this before and now it’s done.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: The European Union is proposing a new package of “biting sanctions” against Russia
Russia has escalated the invasion of Ukraine to a new level.
And we are determined to make the Kremlin pay the price for this further escalation.
Main statements:
▪️ Ban the import of Russian products worth 7 billion euros;
▪️ Introduce a ceiling on Russian oil prices;
▪️ Impose sanctions against individuals who will circumvent restrictions against Russia;
▪️ Expand the list of goods prohibited for delivery to the Russian Federation in the field of aviation and electronic components and chemicals;
▪️ Prohibit EU citizens from joining the management bodies of Russian state-owned companies.
Just leaving this here:
Can the U.S. track Russian subs? - Quora
https://www.quora.com/Can-the-U-S-track-Russian-subs
Can the US track Russian nuclear subs? Yes, the US has a worldwide acoustic tracking system and it usually sends out a hunter killer submarine to track each and every Russian (or …
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