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Nordstream 2 - Ukrainian authorship is fully confirmed

by Angela Klein

[This article posted on 8/1/2024 is translated from the German on the Internet, https://www.sozonline.de/2024/08/nordstream-2-die-ukrainische-urheberschaft-ist-voll-bestaetigt/.]

In its October 2023 issue, SoZ reported on the alleged authorship of the Nordstream 2 pipeline blast. In its August 28 issue,Der Spiegel devoted a detailed report to the act of sabotage, which more than two dozen journalists from Spiegel and ZDF had spent six months researching. It described the course of events essentially in the same way as the US stock market newspaper Wall Street Journal did last August 15. Even then, the research fully confirmed a report by the Washington Post on June 6, 2023, according to which “a six-member team of Ukrainian special forces intended to sabotage the natural gas project between Russia and Germany”.

The naming of Ukrainian perpetrators of the attack was much better substantiated and therefore seemed more plausible to us than the suspicion previously expressed by Seymour Hersh and others that the USA had carried out the attack - although their involvement is by no means ruled out and the efforts to shift all the blame onto Ukraine and Poland rather suggest that there is still something going on.

The Wall Street Journal has now named the horse and rider: On an early May night, the idea was reportedly conceived by drunken Ukrainian officers; businessmen gave the money and the army high command (General Salushnyi) gave his ok. Selenskyi had also approved the plan.

The course of events is hardly questioned. On the contrary, there is confirmation from the former head of the BND, August Hanning, who said in an interview with Die Welt last August 20: “There were agreements between the highest leaders of Ukraine and Poland, between Zelenskyi and Duda (the Polish president).” The execution of the attack was only possible with massive logistical support from Poland, which presupposed such an agreement.

Hanning also explained that, in his opinion, Poland had no interest in the success of the investigation because it had been involved at the highest level. He estimated the consequential damage at 20-30 billion euros - “through state terrorism, it has to be said so clearly”. Compensation must be demanded, including from the operators.
Not to mention the environmental damage caused by the 10-50,000 tons of methane estimated by scientists to be dissolved in the sea. They stimulate the activity of bacteria, which deprive their environment of oxygen, resulting in an increase in microorganisms that produce hydrogen sulphide. This creates dead zones in which life is no longer possible.

Investigations have so far revealed the name of the man who led the operation: Volodymir Zhuravlov, a 44-year-old Ukrainian diving instructor. The German authorities will probably never find out who was involved in the decisions, as both the leading Polish and Ukrainian authorities deny any involvement. But that is not necessary: The act as such is not only contrary to international law, it is a declaration of war. And by supposed allies: Poland's new prime minister, Donald Tusk, posted on X after it became known: “To all initiators and owners of Nordstream 2: The only thing you should do today is to apologize and shut up.”

Since the fact as such can no longer be denied, the German media are falling over themselves to simply justify it. The Faz took the cake: “If the Ukrainian president or another commander ordered it, it can also be seen as an act of defense permissible under international law.” Moreover, all allies have a duty “to ensure that even a defensive war remains a lawful one, in that it is only waged by lawful means and in a lawful manner”. Ukraine gives “little cause for concern with regard to the selection of targets, the treatment of prisoners of war and also the prosecution of war crimes and international observation”. “In such extreme situations, the value of the Western community of values is proven.”

How far do these people want to take it, calling a cesspool clean drinking water, just as it suits them? Much less would be enough for NATO to declare war on Russia.

As things stand, it cannot be assumed that a German government will be man enough to show the Ukrainian and Polish governments the red card. It is their greatest possible foreign policy embarrassment, which only shows the subservience of German foreign policy: no other country in the world would put up with this.

But it will almost certainly achieve one thing: the de-legitimization of any military aid to Ukraine. What right does a state have to demand billions in support if it cuts off its ally's energy supply? In any case, this should open some people's eyes to how worthy it is to support a war that is waged with such means. It has nothing to do with national self-determination.