Observers: A Big Winner From Nord Stream Destruction is US

Russian intelligence services have found a Western footprint in the recent sabotage attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines. However, one country benefits the most from disrupting the flow of affordable Russian energy to the Old Continent and thus intensifying the relocation of European manufacturers.

"It is certainly true that the United States will be one of the main beneficiaries of the destruction of the Nord Stream system," says Alex Krainer, founder of Krainer Analytics. "Already now American gas traders are reaping staggering profits on transatlantic gas trades. US gas suppliers can load a large vessel at a cost of about $60 million. In Europe, that same cargo can fetch as much as $275 million."

At the same time, Krainer presumed that the attack could have been conducted by rogue elements from London and Warsaw, albeit with US military intelligence and technical support. He has drawn attention to an infamous tweet by former Polish foreign minister and incumbent European MEP Radek Sikorski, who tweeted "Thank you, USA" in response to the blasts. A few days later, the tweet was deleted, prompting a new wave of suspicions among netizens. Incidentally, a Norway-Poland natural gas pipeline was inaugurated on September 27, a day after the Nord Stream pipelines were attacked.

What’s more, The New York Times revealed on September 27, that the CIA issued a "vague warning" in June 2022 to a number of European countries, including Germany, that Russia's two Nord Stream gas pipelines could be targeted in forthcoming attacks. The agency did not specify who the attacker could be.

"The EU and US have made it very clear over the past six months that they are determined to reduce their reliance on Russian energy supplies," said political analyst Joe Quin. "The elephant in the room on this subject is the US government and its apparent determination to cut Europe off, by whatever means necessary, from Russian energy in order to achieve long-term US geopolitical objectives."

The problem, however, is that it is not at all clear that the EU can survive in energy terms without Russian hydrocarbons, Quin explains.

Previously, 40% of Europe's natural gas came from Russia. For its part, Germany relied on Russia for 55% of its gas supplies with inexpensive energy being a pillar of the country's economy.

The anti-Russia energy embargo championed by Washington has amplified the already swirling energy crisis in the EU, prompting European manufacturers to shift operations to the US. "A big winner from the energy crisis in Europe: the US economy," the Wall Street Journal summarized on September 21.

Meanwhile, the destruction of Nord Streams apparently hammered the final nail into Germany's ability to resume gas supplies from Russia this winter and sent energy costs rising even higher. Following the sabotage attack, European gas prices surged more than 20% at one point on Tuesday, while on Thursday European and German shares tumbled, according to Reuters.

"I sincerely hope that US taxpayer funds were not used in any way potentially to attack or even destroy a vital supply link for essential energy resources that Europe needs," said Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel. "And, we must make sure to wait to see and then confirm available evidence. That said – while there arguably may be support in America and among European allies to assist Ukraine in regaining territory under Ukrainian control prior to the special military operation of 2022 – there should be minimal support and likely outrage in America were it to be proven that our military assets directly or indirectly attacked these supply links, leaving Europe with few viable options, if any, to source alternative energy supplies going in to the looming winter season."

Moscow Already Has Materials on "Western Footprint"

While the unprecedented pipeline attacks require a thorough joint investigation, preliminary findings suggest the involvement of Western actors, according to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). Moscow already has materials that "point to the Western footprint in organizing and carrying out" the blasts, SVR chief Sergey Naryshkin told reporters on Friday. Naryshkin characterized the explosions in the Baltic Sea as an "international terrorist act," adding that the collective West is hiding the true perpetrators. Earlier, on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the incident at the Nord Stream pipeline had taken place in the area controlled by US intelligence.

Data from Flightradar24 analyzed by Sputnik showed that US military helicopters earlier this month, prior to the incident, regularly circled for hours around the area where the gas leaks occurred on the Nord Stream pipelines near Bornholm Island. However, the Pentagon told Sputnik that it would not "get ahead" of an investigation by its European partners and comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and some other European countries rushed to point the finger of blame at Russia, suggesting that Moscow itself blasted its pipelines in Danish and Swedish territorial waters, providing zero evidence or clear reasoning to substantiate their assumptions. The Kremlin resolutely shredded the accusations as absurd and stupid. For its part, the US showed unusual restraint and said that it wouldn't accuse Russia or anyone else before Europe conducts its own investigation into the matter.

Why a Joint EU-Russian Probe is a Must

"I believe such an investigation would be an excellent opportunity for western European governments to rekindle dialogue and constructive cooperation which will prove critical to preserving peace on the continent," said Alex Krainer. "Given that the Nord Stream pipelines connected Russia with Germany, and that Germany has sustained the heaviest blow from this act of state terrorism, I believe these two nations should have key roles in such an investigation."

Russia requested a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the attacks on Nord Stream pipelines with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noting on September 28 that the scale of destruction at the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines from Russia to Germany has all the earmark of a terrorist act by a state actor. Moscow has signaled readiness to consider requests from EU countries for a joint investigation into the incidents. Still, no such requests have been received so far.

"It's highly unlikely that the EU or the US will cooperate with any proposed Russian investigation in the sabotage of Nordstream 1 and 2, for the simple reason that elements both within the EU political leadership, and in particular the US leadership, are the primary suspects in the sabotage itself," suggested Quin.

On September 26, Nord Stream AG pipeline operator told Sputnik that a dispatcher had registered a rapid gas pressure drop on Line A of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, with the incident occurring in Danish waters near the island of Bornholm. It turned out later that both Nord Stream 1 and 2 had been damaged. The Swedish and Danish authorities said they had detected powerful undersea explosions which prompted nations to conclude that the destruction was caused by sabotage.

The 1,224-kilometer-long Nord Stream 1 pipeline system was designed to deliver up to 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year through the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany's Lubmin. Nord Stream 2 was meant to double that capacity thus making Germany a major European gas hub. US officials have long vocally opposed the Russo-German energy cooperation with the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations alike trying to throw a wrench in the works of Nord Stream 2 project. Eventually, Nord Stream 2 was suspended on February 22, 2022, while Nord Stream 1 had to step down pumping due to technical problems and inability to get timely repair services due the West's anti-Russia sanctions.