Saturday, February 15, 2025

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Berliner Zeitung journalist on blowing up Nord Stream: “An American act of war against Germany”

The new cold war

Published 16 February 2023
– By Editorial Staff
Biden in Maryland in January.

For the Biden administration, German war support is more important than keeping the population from freezing, according to high-profile journalist Seymour Hersh, who exposed US involvement in the terrorist attack on European infrastructure.

He says this in an interview with the Berliner Zeitung, where German journalist Fabian Scheidler himself adds that the attack could be considered an act of war against a Western ally.

– This can be perceived as an act of war not only against Russia but also against Western allies, especially Germany, Scheidler notes.

– This can be perceived as an act of war not only against Russia but also against Western allies, especially Germany, notes Fabian Scheidler, interviewing Hersh in the German newspaper Berliner Zeitung.

In the interview, Hersh points out that the US feared that Germany would lift sanctions against Russia due to energy shortages during a cold winter – and that this was a major reason for the Americans to blow up the gas pipelines with the help of Norway.

– I don’t think they thought it through. I know this sounds strange. I don’t think that Blinken and some others in the administration are deep thinkers. There certainly are people in the American economy who like the idea of us being more competitive. We’re selling LNG, liquefied gas, at extremely big profits; we’re making a lot of money on it.

He believes that there were certainly American powers that be who saw the attack and its disastrous effects on the German economy as something that could give the US economy a boost – but that the powers that be in the White House were mostly “obsessed with getting re-elected”.

– They wanted to win the war, they wanted to get a victory, they want Ukraine to somehow magically win. There could be some people who think maybe it’ll be better for our economy if the German economy is weak, but that’s crazy thinking. I think, basically, that we’ve bitten deep into something that’s not going to work. The war is not going to turn out well for this government.

Biden declares a halt to Nord Stream if Russia invades Ukraine:

“A shame for the United States”

The Pulitzer-winning journalist adds that he doesn’t know how the war will end but that it “scares” him that the US president was willing to blow up Nord Stream.

– Those who carried out this mission believed that the president was aware of what he was doing to the German people, that he was punishing them for a war that was not going well. In the long run, this will not only damage his reputation as President, it will also be very damaging politically. It will be an embarrassment to the United States, he concludes.

Hersh points out that the Biden administration worried that Germany and other EU countries would stop supplying weapons to Ukraine and that Germany would open Nord Stream 2 and resume gas imports. The blast made such a solution impossible.

He is also critical of the fact that, since the revelation, the US media and powers-that-be have been more focused on smearing him than digging deeper into the scandal.

– How could I reveal my source?… If I named someone, they would be fired or worse – jailed.

He adds that he worked with “experienced fact-checkers” during the report and that there are “many ways to check” the facts he presents.

– The personal attacks on me are also irrelevant. The point is that Biden has decided to let the Germans freeze this winter. The President of the United States would rather have Germany freeze than possibly have Germany stop supporting Ukraine, and that to me is a devastating thing for the White House.

– The point is also that this could be perceived as an act of war not only against Russia but also against Western allies, especially Germany, Fabian Scheidler stresses.

The operation was kept secret

People involved in the operation, Hersh says, understood that Joe Biden wanted to freeze Germany for “his short-term political goals” – and that this horrified them.

– The political advantage of the CIA is that a president who can’t get his plans through Congress can take a walk in the White House Rose Garden with the CIA director and plan something secret that could affect a lot of people on the other side of the Atlantic – or anywhere in the world. That has always been the CIA’s unique selling point – with which I have my problems. But even this community is appalled that Biden has decided to get Europe to freeze in order to support a war he will not win. I think that’s disgraceful.

Seymour Hersh further claims that the operation against Nord Stream was not reported to Congress or to military personnel not directly involved in the operation – even though they should have been.

When asked about the role of courage for Hersh in his profession as a reviewer of power, he questions whether it is really courageous to tell the truth.

Hersh also shares a reflection on the role of journalism, stressing that “Our job is not to be afraid and sometimes it gets uncomfortable. There have been times in my life when … You know, I don’t talk about it. But the threats are not against people like me, but against the children of people like me”, he says, adding that as an investigative journalist, you can’t worry about what might happen – just keep “doing what you’re doing”.

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Finnish security service: Severed sea cables likely accidental

The new cold war

Published 23 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The seized tanker Eagle S.

Finnish authorities are expected to conclude shortly the preliminary investigation against the tanker Eagle S, accused of causing damage to the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia, as well as to several telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea.

Suspicions were initially directed at the Eagle S, which was alleged to have deliberately dragged its anchor along the seabed, thereby damaging the cables.

Finnish authorities boarded the vessel and started questioning the crew. However, Customs announced that no criminal investigation will be opened against the crew, as they are not deemed to have willfully violated any sanctions.

So far, no other evidence has been presented to suggest that the crew intentionally caused the damage. The National Bureau of Investigation has stated that the active preliminary phase of the investigation will soon be completed, reports Helsingin Sanomat via TT.

Despite this, suspicions of gross sabotage against the Eagle S remain. The ship is still seized, and a Finnish court has rejected the owner’s request to release it.

Lack of evidence

Russia has consistently dismissed Western claims that Russian ships deliberately sabotaged the submarine cables as “baseless”. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova argues that the US-led NATO military pact is creating myths to justify an increased presence in the Baltic Sea and to limit Russian oil exports.

It should be noted that no concrete evidence linking Russia to the incident has been presented to date, according to Helsingin Sanomat, citing five sources familiar with the investigation. The information was also confirmed to Hufvudstadsbladet by a source in the Finnish state administration with insight into the case.

In the meantime, Finland and Estonia continue to work on repairs to the damaged cables. Fingrid, Finland’s national grid operator, has requested a court to seize the Eagle S to secure claims for damages related to Estlink 2.

Meanwhile, NATO has increased its presence in the Baltic Sea region in what it describes as “a precautionary measure against potential threats to critical infrastructure”. The other day, Operation Baltic Sentry was launched to patrol and protect important underwater structures such as gas pipelines and internet cables.

The Finnish authorities stress that the investigation into Eagle S is expected to be completed shortly.

Swedish MEP wants to “defeat” the Kremlin

The new cold war

Published 16 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Emma Wiesner is one of many Swedish leaders who have recently started using increasingly aggressive rhetoric.

In a short period of time, the rhetoric of Swedish leaders has become increasingly belligerent and aggressive, while diplomacy and dialogue are rarely put forward as a viable option.

Emma Wiesner, MEP for the Center Party, is one of those accused of fueling the conflict, openly posting on social media about how “we” should “defeat” the Kremlin.

The fact that Swedish politicians’ attitude towards Russia has become even more hostile in recent months was made abundantly clear at Folk och Försvar’s national conference in Sälen this past weekend. At the conference, Ulf Kristersson declared that Sweden is certainly not currently at war but emphasized that “there is no peace either”.

The Swedish Minister of Defense, Pål Jonson, gave a similar message, declaring that supporting Kiev in the war was no longer a “choice”  but a “duty”.

– This is a war with profound global consequences that further weakens the rules-based world order… We must assume that Russia will pose a very serious threat to us and our allies for the foreseeable future, he said.

Emma Wiesner of the Center Party is one of those who has joined the war rhetoric and believes that the Russian leadership must be defeated.

It is completely unreasonable that Russian ships transporting Putin’s gas through the Arctic are given maintenance in EU ports. It is high time to extend sanctions to Russian LNG – we cannot defeat the Kremlin regime until we cut off the flow of money to the war chest”, she writes on X.

“Ukraine’s cause is ours”

However, it is not clear how and at what cost the Kremlin will be defeated or what role Sweden will play in this, and critics point out that sanctions against Russia have so far not produced the desired results.

You seem angry, but it won’t help you ‘defeat the regime in the Kremlin’, the only thing that can happen with your advice is that we dig ourselves even deeper into economic misery in Europe. But of course, as an MEP, you’re not exactly in the same boat as the rest of us”, commented one annoyed user.

Wiesner has previously declared that “Ukraine’s cause is ours” and that a Russian victory on the battlefield cannot be accepted under any circumstances as it would lead to a “fundamentally different Europe” than today.

Swedish Armed Forces unveil drone swarms: “Can be as many as needed”

The new cold war

Published 15 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The drones are described as "trucks" that can carry both weapons and cameras.

The Swedish Armed Forces have been working on a new drone project over the past year, under great secrecy, together with weapons manufacturer Saab, where large swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles will be used in military operations.

–They can be as many as needed – thousands, if desired, says Saab CEO Micael Johansson

The main focus has been on developing new software that is said to enable the drones to form swarms and perform tasks almost automatically, without any operator having to control each individual aircraft in detail.

It’s not about piloting drones, you give them a mission on an iPad or mobile phone, then the drone swarm goes out and does this, the Saab top executive told TT during a press conference, explaining that a soldier can learn the system in a few days.

A possible drone mission could be to monitor a road by flying over it and transmitting images or video from the site, while scouting for enemies that the drones can also identify. By using hundreds or thousands of drones, very large areas can be monitored in this way, and if a few drones are disrupted, this also has little impact.

Although this has not been part of the project so far, it is also possible that in the future the drones will be armed and used to attack enemy forces.

You can update this software and do amazing things in the long run, says Micael Johansson.

Should not make their own decisions

According to Army Chief of Staff Jonny Lindfors, the drones should be considered “trucks” and it is up to the decision-makers to decide what cargo they should carry.

– But the basic principle that still applies is that in an armed operation there should be a human being making the decisions, he says.

Swedish soldiers have already started training with the new system and it will also be used in the NATO exercise Arctic Strike in March. The Swedish Armed Forces are also in the process of acquiring tens of thousands of drones, but they won’t say how much the new system will cost.

Sweden’s Minister of Defense Pål Jonson (M) is careful to point out, however, that a project of this kind usually takes about five years to complete and that it is “uniquely fast” that the software has been developed in just one year.

EU imports of Russian liquefied natural gas reach record levels

The new cold war

Published 14 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Russian LNG tanker Christophe de Margerie.

Despite EU sanctions and stated ambitions to sharply reduce imports of Russian fossil fuels, Europe still imported record amounts of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia in 2024.

According to experts, there is a logical reason for the increase Russian gas is simply much cheaper than its competitors.

Data from Rystad Energy shows that 17.8 million tons of Russian LNG were delivered to European ports last year, an increase of over 2 million tons compared to the previous year.

Despite a significant drop in piped gas imports from Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine and the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022, the EU continued to purchase record amounts of the country’s LNG. This has been possible as the chilled fuel has been only partially covered by the sanctions imposed by Union member states.

The energy analyst firm released the data shortly after Ukraine halted the transit of Russian gas through its territory to the EU. Kiev opted to scrap a five-year transit agreement with Russian energy giant Gazprom at the end of 2024, halting the flow of natural gas from Russia to Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Italy and Moldova.

Russian LNG deliveries to the EU not only increased but reached “record levels”, according to Jan-Eric Fahnrich, gas analyst at Rystad Energy. He states that Russia surpassed Qatar as the bloc’s second-largest supplier of LNG in 2024, after the United States.

According to Fahnrich, the EU bought 49.5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas through pipelines last year, and another 24.2 billion cubic meters of LNG, some of which was re-exported to other countries.

“Fairly simple”

Data from the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea) show slightly lower figures, but even these reflect an overall trend of sharply increasing Russian LNG exports. According to Crea, EU imports of Russian LNG increased by 14% year-on-year in 2024 to 17.5 million tons and were worth €7.32 billion.

– The reason for the rise is fairly simple. Russian LNG is offered at a discount to alternative suppliers. With no sanctions imposed on the commodity, companies are operating in their own self-interest and buying increasing quantities of gas from the cheapest supplier, explains Crea’s Russia analyst Vaibhav Raghunandan.

The latest estimates significantly outpace recent projections by Bloomberg, which earlier this week said LNG deliveries from Russia to the EU had risen to 15.5 million tons by 2024 compared to 2020, when the EU imported about 10.5 million tons of the fuel.