There are several countries that have a motive, but what is it?

Black gold, the Siberian tea, in the land of Magog

Russian Nord Stream 1, 2 Pipeline Explosions—What We Do Know, What We Don’t

From the article:

World leaders and intelligence agencies are still unpicking reports of leaks along the two Nord Stream pipelines, which supply natural gas from Russia to Europe. Some believe the actions could be an act of sabotage, potentially by Russia or by the U.S.

Drops in pressure were first detected Monday by the operators of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, funded and constructed by the Russian government, which have been at the center of the geopolitical storm fueled by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

While neither pipeline was in operation at the time of the incidents, they contained gas under pressure within them, and they come at a time of heightened tensions after Russia held illegitimate “referendums” on its annexation of regions in eastern Ukraine.

So what will the impacts be on the global energy supply and on the conflict in Ukraine, and to what extent do we know the facts about how the pipelines were damaged? Newsweek Fact Check looked at the evidence….

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Nord Stream leaks ‘in no one’s interest’ – Blinken

From the article:

He pointed to US efforts to step up shipments of liquified natural gas since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as US allies, notably Germany, tried to reduce their reliance on Russian energy.

Ukraine accused Russia of causing the leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, saying the alleged actions amount to “nothing more than a terrorist attack.”…

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Russians push baseless theory blaming US for burst pipeline

From the article:

The Russian position is also reverberating on social media forums popular with American conservatives and far-right groups.

NATO leaders believe the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines between Russia and Germany is the result of sabotage. NATO has refrained from identifying a suspect pending an investigation into the damage.

Russia began blaming the U.S. quickly after the damage was reported Monday night. On Friday, speaking at a ceremony to annex four Ukrainian regions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said “Anglo-Saxons” in the West were behind the “terror attacks” but did not specify any nations.

Pravda and other Russian state outlets reported Thursday that the U.S. operates underwater robots capable of carrying out the acts of sabotage. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman wrote about her suspicions of U.S. involvement in a Telegram post.

“Europe must know the truth!” Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram Wednesday.

President Joe Biden on Friday dismissed Russia’s claims.

“It was a deliberate act of sabotage. And now the Russians are pumping out disinformation and lies,” Biden said. “… When things calm down, we’re going to send the divers down to find out exactly what happened. We don’t know that yet exactly. But just don’t listen to what Putin’s saying. What he’s saying we know is not true.”

The assertions of U.S. responsibility cite Biden’s threat in February to stop the recently completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline if Russia invaded Ukraine. “If Russia invades … then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2,” Biden said. “We will bring an end to it.”

The two Nord Stream lines were not in operation but were filled with tons of methane that began bubbling to the surface following the damage. Russia recently shut off the Nord Stream 1 pipeline as it ramped up energy pressure on Europe. Nord Stream 2 has never been used.

Fox News’ Tucker Carlson played the Biden clip on his show Tuesday and brought up the possibility that the U.S. was behind the sabotage….

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Video of Biden Saying He’d ‘End’ Nord Stream Resurfaces After Pipeline Leak

From the article:

Author Michael Shellenberger shared the video and simply added: “Could be relevant.”

Speaking to reporters on February 7, Biden said: “If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine again, there will no longer be a Nord Stream 2.”

“We will bring an end to it,” the president said. A journalist asked Biden how he could do that since Germany was in control of the project, the president replied: “I promise you: We will be able to do it.”

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Who gains most from Nord Stream sabotage?

From the article:

The US has long opposed NATO’s (especially Germany’s) dependence on Russian, formerly Soviet, natural gas. The United States, in fact, used export controls to block the original Yamal pipeline in the 1980s, believing the threat of a Russian cutoff would alter Europe’s political decisions.

As recently as 2018, then-president Donald Trump warned the Europeans at the UN General Assembly of the potential for a Russian energy cutoff. There is video of the German delegation to UNGA appearing to mock Mr. Trump. Then came Ukraine and severe cutbacks in the delivery of Russian natural gas to Europe.

Now, as Norway and Poland announce the opening of the Trans Baltic Pipeline, Russia’s Nord  Stream 1 and Nord  Stream 2 pipelines have been damaged near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. Three separate pipeline breaches are apparent, essentially ruling out the possibility of a technical fault.

While the pipelines are not currently operating, they are kept filled with natural gas under pressure and the gas is bubbling up to the surface. This suggests the damage to both pipelines was significant, although a full assessment remains to be done.

Repairs, it appears, will take some time even if priority is given to the first Nord Stream pipeline, making it unlikely that it can be returned to service before winter, even if there is a change in the political situation.

The first guesses have been that the Nord Stream pipelines were sabotaged in an effort to affect Russia’s war in Ukraine. Such an operation would require the ability to locate the pipelines and place explosive charges in three different places. If they were, the questions are who did it and why?

The Nord  Stream pipelines are at sea depths ranging from 80 to 110 meters (262 to 360 feet). Frogmen typically operate at 6 meters (20 feet), so submersible vehicles would have been needed to place explosives on the pipeline or otherwise damage it.

The underwater pipes for Nord  Stream are made of steel grade DNV grade SAWL 485 (similar to grade X70) for wall thicknesses ranging from 26.8 to 34.4mm and were manufactured by six qualified producers (one in Russia, four in Europe and one in Japan). The pipes are encased in concrete.

Deliberate damage would be no easy matter. Ukraine has already said the sabotage was carried out by the Russians. 

“The large-scale gas leak is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression toward the EU,” Kiev’s presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak announced on Twitter.

The trouble with that argument is that Russia would lose all its leverage with Europe if it destroyed its own pipelines.  Both Nord  Stream 1 and Nord  Stream 2 are owned in a joint project. Gazprom has 51% and four Western partners.

PEGI/E.ON (EONGn.DE) and Wintershall Dea (WINT.UL) (BASFn.DE) have 15.5% each, and French Engie (ENGIE.PA) and Dutch Gasunie (GSUNI.UL) 9% each.

Ukraine, itself, could be a candidate in an attempt to damage Russia economically, now and in the future. But if that is the case and Ukraine is discovered as the culprit, its relations with Europe and NATO would be tremendously damaged.

Almost every European country has the technical ability to operate offshore with remotely piloted vehicles and some of them have evolved underwater military services (like the US Navy SEALS), which can attack and destroy underwater targets. But which European country would want to do so?

It would be very risky for any European state to carry out a sabotage operation against the two pipelines. First, just as the Russians need Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 intact for their own reasons, the Europeans need them intact for future gas deliveries. In addition, such a move could be regarded by Russia as an act of war.

However, there are a few possible exceptions. Finland is in a serious dispute with Russia that started with Finland’s decision to join NATO. In May, Russia cut off gas supplies to Finland and earlier Russia halted electricity deliveries.

But it is hard to understand why Finland might consider the Nord Stream pipelines as a target for any retaliation. Finland itself has embargoed Russian coal and oil.

Russia also has a very tense relationship with the Baltic States, and any one of them could carry out sabotage acts against the Nord Stream pipelines. However, the fact that this would deprive Europe of gas deliveries in the near future, supposing an end of sanctions, makes this an unlikely move for any country that depends on NATO for security.

Could the US have sabotaged the Nord Stream pipelines to remove President Vladimir Putin’s leverage over Europe this winter?

If there was substantial fear in Washington that Europe might break consensus on sanctioning Russian over the Ukraine war to save itself from an energy crisis this winter, then there could be logic in such a move – but also huge political, strategic and security risks.

The US has become an important energy player sending LNG to Europe in ever-increasing quantities. Europe has been using US-supplied LNG to help fill its storage tanks for the coming winter. 

Most American deliveries go through France, with Spain and the Netherlands as secondary routes. There are reports that the US is almost at capacity in delivering LNG to Europe and Asia, and natural gas prices in the US could increase significantly if more LNG is shipped.

No one can answer the question of who sabotaged the Nord Stream pipelines. If anything, though, the apparent sabotage of the pipelines demonstrates Europe’s irresponsibility in accepting gas from a known enemy – the fact that they got away with it for 37 years, in retrospect, is amazing.

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MONEY MONEY MONEY

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Analysis: Russia’s Ukraine gas transit sanction threat a fresh blow for Europe

From the article:

LONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) – If Moscow carries out a threat to sanction Ukrainian energy firm Naftogaz, one of the last functioning Russian gas supply routes to Europe could be shut, exacerbating the energy crisis just as the crucial winter heating season begins.

Naftogaz initiated a new arbitration proceeding against Gazprom (GAZP.MM) earlier this month, saying the Russian company has not paid transit fees for sending its gas to Europe via pipelines that cross Ukraine.

Gazprom this week rejected all the claims, adding that Russia may introduce sanctions against Naftogaz in the case that it further pursues the matter. Such sanctions would prohibit Gazprom from paying Ukraine transit fees, which analysts say could end Russian gas flows to Europe via the country.

Yuriy Vitrenko, chief executive of Naftogaz, said the company will continue with arbitration proceedings against Gazprom regardless.

“(Sanctions) would make into reality the worst-case scenario that European governments have been preparing for all summer, a European gas market without Russian gas,” said Natasha Fielding, head of EMEA gas pricing at Argus Media.

“Transit through Ukraine is the only Russian gas delivery route to Europe still in use besides the Turkish Stream pipeline, which serves southeast European countries,” she added.

Dutch wholesale gas prices, the European benchmark, shot up after Gazprom’s talk of sanctions on Tuesday, and rallied as much as 13% on Wednesday to stand around 120% higher since the start of the year….

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COULD IT ALL BE ABOUT OIL & GAS?

From the above article: “The Russia–Ukraine gas disputes refer to a number of disputes between Ukrainian oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrayiny and Russian gas supplier Gazprom over natural gas supplies, prices, and debts. These disputes have grown beyond simple business disputes into transnational political issues—involving political leaders from several countries—that threaten natural gas supplies in numerous European countries dependent on natural gas imports from Russian suppliers, which are transported through Ukraine. Russia provides approximately a quarter of the natural gas consumed in the European Union; approximately 80% of those exports travel through pipelines across Ukrainian soil prior to arriving in the EU.^[1]

Russia plans to completely abandon gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine after 2018.^[14][15] Gazprom has already substantially reduced the volumes of gas it transits across Ukraine, and expressed its intention of reducing the level further by means of transit diversification pipelines (Nord Stream, Turkish Stream, etc.).^[16]

In 2021 natural gas prices in the European Union have risen as high as 800% from the beginning of the year. The dispute is over the Nord Stream 2 Gas pipeline and other disputes such as Yamal-Europe pipeline that usually sends Russian gas to Western Europe was flowing in reverse.^[17]

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And don’t forget the Biden connection!

The War Has Just Begun

From end of article:

Nordstream and Escalation

As we were pondering these developments on the ground, yet another plotline emerged underwater. The first hint that something was amiss was the news that pressure in the Nordstream 1 pipeline was dropping mysteriously. It was then revealed that the pipeline – along with the non-operational Nordstream 2 – had suffered serious damage. Swedish seismologists recorded explosions on the floor of the Baltic Sea, and it was revealed that the pipelines are heavily damaged.

Let’s be frank about this. Russia did not blow up its own pipelines, and it is ludicrous to suggest that they did. The importance of the pipeline to Russia lay in the fact that it could be switched on and off, providing a mechanism for leverage and negotiation vis a vis Germany. In the classic carrot and stick formulation, one cannot move the donkey if the carrot is blown up. The *only* feasible scenario in which Russia might be responsible for the sabotage would be if some hardliner faction within the Russian government felt that Putin was moving too slowly, and wanted to force an escalation. This would imply, however, that Putin is losing internal control, and there is no evidence whatsoever for such a theory.

And so, we return to elementary analysis, and ask: Cui bono? Who benefits? Well, considering Poland celebrated the opening of a new pipeline to Norway only a few days ago, and a certain former Polish MP cryptically thanked the United States on Twitter, it is fair to make a few guesses.

The first lesson of doing crimes is not to brag about it on twitter

Let us briefly meditate on the actual implications of Nordstream’s demise.

1. Germany loses what little autonomy and flexibility it had, making it even more dependent on the United States.
2. Russia loses a point of leverage over Europe, reducing the inducements to negotiation.
3. Poland and Ukraine become even more critical transit hubs for gas.

Russia clearly perceives this as a bridge burning move of sabotage by NATO, designed to back them into a corner. The Russian government has decried it as an act of “international terrorism” and argued that the explosions occurred in areas “controlled by NATO” – the concatenation of these statements is that they blame NATO for an act of terrorism, without explicitly saying that. This precipitated another meeting of the Russian National Security Council.

Many western nations have advised their citizens to leave Russia immediately, suggesting they are worried about escalation (this coincides with Ukraine’s unhinged claim that Russia may be about to use nuclear weapons). For the time being, I expect Russian escalation to remain confined to Ukraine itself, likely coinciding with the deployment of additional Russian ground forces. If Russia feels compelled to undertake an out of theater escalation, targeting American satellites, digital infrastructure, or forces in Syria remain the most likely option.

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Russia’s Purported Sabotage Of The Nord Stream Pipeline Marks A Point Of No Return

From the article:

This is not the first time the Russians have — in my opinion — lied about energy infrastructure damage to weaponize their energy resources or geographical position as a transit country. Multiple prewar disputes with Ukraine, Finland, the Baltics, and recent attempts to hold Kazakhstan’s energy exports hostage due to its defiance regarding Ukraine, stand out as examples. In every case, the Russians obfuscated by blaming “storms,” “poor equipment,” and even a rubber duck to drum up plausible deniability.

However, the attacks on Nord Stream are more dire than anything we previously saw. This suspected act of sabotage signals a point of no return. The economic damage caused by these attacks has Europe poised to land in a recession as deep as the one in 2009.

There can now be no negotiated reopening or resumption of deliveries even if the battlefields of Ukraine instantly fall silent. The Russians have achieved their immediate goal, with Reuters reporting “Nord Stream AG said it was impossible to estimate when the gas network system’s working capability would be restored.” This winter, Europe is doomed to face the worst energy crisis since the Arab oil embargo of 1974, or worse….

…While there is a desperate rationale in Putin’s strategy, it is unlikely to work. The shutdown of Nord Stream 2 was already a grievous symbolic and economic blow against Russia by Europe. While Europe did depend on Russia for many of its energy needs, Europe is not only already diversifying its energy sources, especially with a recent Polish-Norwegian gas pipeline, that opened one day before the Nord Stream explosions, but Russia’s dependency on imported manufactured products is unlikely to change in the immediate future. While Europe did rely on Russian gas, Russia’s reliance on European capital and technology was far higher….

The underwater attack on Nord Stream shows Russia’s desperation and an attempt to make Europe kneel. The best thing the West can do now with Nord Stream attacks is to deny force majeure and do everything in its power to penalize Gazprom and other relevant Russian businesses and their partners relevant to those contracts. Europe must also recognize this act of aggression as signaling the end of current and future purchases of Russian energy and expedite alternative gas pipeline construction, including from Spain and Portugal to France, and look elsewhere for gas supplies going forward.

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Look elsewhere! Where?

Israel

The EastMed pipeline, meant to transfer natural gas from Israeli waters to Europe via Greece and Cyprus, was announced in 2016, and several agreements have been signed between the three countries on the subject. The three states aimed to complete the €6 billion project by 2025, but no financing has been secured for it.

US informs Israel it no longer supports EastMed pipeline to Europe

The US no longer supports the proposed EastMed natural-gas pipeline from Israel to Europe, the Biden administration has informed Israel, Greece and Cyprus in recent weeks.

State Department officials conveyed the new position to the Foreign Ministry, a diplomatic source in Jerusalem confirmed Tuesday. The Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the matter.

The reversal of position from that of the Trump administration was first reported in Greece earlier this month.

Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former energy secretary Dan Brouillette expressed US support for the pipeline when they were in office.

But Washington informed Athens it was reversing course from the Trump administration in a “non-paper,” a diplomatic term for an unofficial, or off-the-record, communication this month….

Washington no longer supports the proposed EastMed gas pipeline from Israel to Europe, according to a Jerusalem diplomatic source. The Biden administration reportedly informed Israeli, Greek, and Cypriot officials in recent weeks of its change in attitude. “I believe this is related to Turkish domestic politics.

Biden Admin Withdraws Support From Israel-Europe EastMed Gas Pipeline

From the Article:

The move strengthens Russia and Turkey’s stranglehold on Europe’s energy supply

The Biden White House has withdrawn U.S. support from a pipeline project designed to deliver Israeli natural gas to Europe, reversing a decision taken by President Donald Trump’s administration.

The 1,180-mile undersea pipeline project from Israel to southern Europe, set to be completed by 2025, will ease Europe’s dependence on Russia and Turkey. These two countries have a stranglehold on the continent’s energy supply.

“The United States is no longer supporting the construction of EastMed gas pipeline project as Washington’s interest is now switching to renewable energy sources, according to a State Department statement,” the Euractiv, a Brussels based news website, reported recently….

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This report has a lot of dots to connect, but no matter how one connects them, it spells:

CONVERGENCE

Note: The ancient Mayan Calendar was a big deal in 2012. The same year as Daniel’s last Timeline Prophecy with Jacob’s two weeks of years added to the end of it. (See Missing Links, Chapter VI – Timeline Prophecies of the Bible in main menu.) The Mayan sacred calendar (The Tzolkin) is based on 260 day cycles with 20 periods of 13 days. (13 tribes and 13 colonies)

[260 ÷13 = 20 or 1 JST. See Cosmic Clockworks I in main menu.]

Revelation’s sixth seal > Rev. 6:12-17

Mayan > 2012+13=2025

Daniel > 2012+14=2026

(Also see Missing Links – Appendix IV in main menu.)

Come out of Babylon for her judgement is near!

Stay strong!

LOLGB+