Nord Stream 2 Sabotage and Reaping the Profit as US Makes Energy Deals with Allies

Bringing the Nord Stream 2 saga up to date: Two plus two equals…well, you don’t have to be a genius to join the dots here. MH

First some links to recap on the Nord Stream “accident”

Which brings us to subsequent recent events:

The US is set to double its gas exports to the UK under plans to clamp down on rising living costs by weaning Britain off Russian energy.

The Prime Minister has pledged that the new partnership to boost energy security, efficiency and affordability will cut prices for Britons and ensure the UK’s national supply can “never again be manipulated by the whims of a failing regime”.

The initiative has an “immediate goal” of stabilising energy markets and reducing demand, while seeking to build long-term resilience by accelerating the shift to clean alternatives.

This will involve promoting nuclear fuels as a “safe” and “reliable” part of the transition, expediting the development of clean hydrogen, and driving international investment in offshore wind and carbon capture.

Together the UK and US will ensure the global price of energy and the security of our national supply can never again be manipulated by the whims of a failing regime...continues at source

US to double gas exports to UK under plans to clamp down on sky-high prices | Evening Standard

Still not convinced? Let’s go back further. to 2021…

Developer officially cancels Keystone XL pipeline project blocked by Biden

June 9 (Reuters) – A $9 billion oil pipeline that became a symbol of the rising political clout of climate change advocates and a flash point in U.S.-Canada relations was officially canceled on Wednesday.

Keystone XL, which was proposed in 2008 to bring oil from Canada’s Western tar sands to U.S. refiners, was halted by owner TC Energy Corp (TRP.TO) after U.S. President Joe Biden this year revoked a key permit needed for a U.S. stretch of the 1,200-mile project.

Opponents of the line fought its construction for years, saying it was unnecessary and would hamper the U.S. transition to cleaner fuels. Its demise comes as other North American oil pipelines, including Dakota Access and Enbridge Line 3, face continued opposition from environmental groups…continues at source:

Developer officially cancels Keystone XL pipeline project blocked by Biden | Reuters

From on to off: why Biden went cold on the Mediterranean gas pipeline from Israel

While serving as vice president under Barack Obama, Joe Biden emerged as a vocal supporter of the Eastern Mediterranean gas pipeline that would connect Israel’s offshore gas reserves to Europe.

The long-planned project that would run from Israeli waters through Cyprus and Greece, then onwards into Europe, had bipartisan support in the US.

And in 2020 with the backing of former president Donald Trump’s administration, the three countries signed an agreement aiming to complete the roughly $6 billion pipeline by 2025.

But as president, Mr Biden has had a change of heart. US officials informed Israel and Greece last month that the US would no longer support the project, citing environmental concerns over impacts at odds with the administration’s move away from fossil fuels.

Henri Barkey, an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said it was “a bizarre thing” for the Biden administration to tell its allies that it no longer supported the pipeline given the timing and the optics.

The US has repeatedly called for Europe to wean itself off of Russian natural gas amid a potential invasion of Ukraine and has long sought to pursue its broader interests in the Middle East by promoting energy co-operation between its regional partners…continues at source:

From on to off: why Biden went cold on the Mediterranean gas pipeline from Israel (thenationalnews.com)

And from June 2021…

Biden stokes outrage with deal on Russia gas pipeline

The Biden administration has reached a deal with Germany that allows for the completion of a contested natural gas pipeline, infuriating lawmakers from both parties who said the conduit will empower Russia and environmentalists who want the administration to denounce fossil fuels.

The U.S. and German governments yesterday released a pact that calls for both countries to impose penalties if Russia tries to use the Nord Stream 2 pipeline or other energy corridors to assert influence in the region.

“The United States and Germany are united in their determination to hold Russia to account for its aggression and malign activities by imposing costs via sanctions and other tools,” the statement read.

“Should Russia attempt to use energy as a weapon or commit further aggressive acts against Ukraine, Germany will take action at the national level and press for effective measures at the European level, including sanctions, to limit Russian export capabilities to Europe in the energy sector,” the statement said.

The decision marks a shift for the U.S. government, which has long opposed Nord Stream 2, which would carry gas from western Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. But White House officials said the pipeline was already 90% complete when President Biden took office and argued that the agreement will allow the U.S. to better address its worries about the project. The administration, which has sought to improve ties with Germany, signaled the move in May when it decided to waive sanctions against the company building the pipeline.

The pact allows Germany “to push back against the Kremlin’s harmful activities and to advance a more secure and sustainable energy future for Ukraine and other front-line NATO and E.U. countries,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Air Force One…continues at source:

Biden stokes outrage with deal on Russia gas pipeline – E&E News (eenews.net)

STOPPING PIPELINE IS A ‘LONG SHOT’

Russia’s state energy company, Gazprom (GAZP.MM), and its Western partners are racing to finish the pipeline to send natural gas under the Baltic Sea. The project, now about 95% complete, would bypass Ukraine, depriving it of lucrative transit fees and potentially undermining its struggle against Russian aggression.

A U.S. official conceded that stopping the project would be difficult but that Washington would keep trying. “We inherited a pipeline that was over 90% complete and so stopping it has always been a long shot,” the State Department official said.

At the rate it is being constructed, Nord Stream 2 will be finished before the end of the year, if not sooner, analysts said.

U.S. lawmakers from both parties who oppose the project said the sanctions did not go far enough, as Russia could likely continue work…excerpt from article:

U.S. waives sanctions on Nord Stream 2 as Biden seeks to mend Europe ties | Reuters

And then in October of 2022 the pipeline is sabotaged as described at the start of this posting. All too conveniently. Not too hard to figure out the agenda here is it?

Russell Brand comments in detail here;