By Paolo von Schirach –
WASHINGTON – It looks like a clever Washington move. The US Government just put on notice any company involved in laying pipes underwater that they should immediately stop work on the Gazprom Nord Stream 2 pipeline designed to deliver Russian gas to Northern Germany, and beyond via the Baltic Sea. If they do not stop, they will face US sanctions. Allseas, the Dutch-Swiss company directly involved in the Nord Stream 2 pipe-laying operations, immediately signaled that it would comply, in order to avoid US sanctions. Hence the halting of the pipeline project, just as it was close to completion.
Last minute effort to stop Nord Stream 2
Well, what’s this all about? This is about the American determination to prevent the completion of this Russian pipeline, even though Germany and many other EU countries openly want it, because Washington fears that Russian dominance of the European energy markets will give Moscow a dangerous degree of influence in European affairs.
Besides, for years Washington has been pointing out that this Nord Stream 2 pipeline has the clear geopolitical goal to divert to this new pipeline Russian gas now flowing to Eastern Europe via pipelines transiting through Ukraine. Upon completion of Nord Stream 2, the same Russian gas destined to European markets will no longer go to Eastern Europe via Ukraine. It will be shipped to Europe via Nord Stream 2. This way, with implicit European complicity, Russia will isolate Ukraine, while selling the same gas to its willing European customers.
The Europeans know what’s going on
Let me stress here that the Europeans (ostensibly our Allies) know very well that this is exactly what is going on. Russia wants to hit Ukraine and figured out a clever way to prevent it from collecting the transit fees for the Russian gas passing through it on its way to Eastern Europe and beyond.
But now America, with the threat of sanctions, stopped the whole thing. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline will not be completed; and the wily Russians got a bloody nose. Well, not really.
Nord Stream 2 will be done
Sure enough, this is a major inconvenience for Gazprom and Moscow that most likely will cause a significant delay and cost overruns for the mega-project now almost completed. But there is no doubt that in the end Nord Stream 2 will be done. Notwithstanding the aggravation and the additional costs, Russia seems to have the vessels that can step in and lay the pipes, so that the project will be finished, at some point.
Only a gesture
So, what is this fracas about sanctions all about? Quite frankly, at best, this is a gesture on the part of the US. I do not see much substance here. Frankly, it is odd for Washington to try to stop our fully consenting NATO allies, who really want this energy project with roguish Russia, (up to no good in Ukraine and elsewhere), simply because we say that it is bad for them.
The reality is that via these targeted sanctions the US can certainly delay this Nord Stream 2 project; but it cannot not stop it altogether. In the meantime, Europe sees us as bullies trying to impose our own views on them, while the EU and NATO countries engaged in this venture with Russia apparently see nothing wrong in doing business with Russia, while abetting its clear design to hurt Ukraine.
No unified view on energy policies within NATO
Sadly, the problem here is not about this ill-advised pipeline aimed primarily at hurting Ukraine. The problem is that the very existence of this project, with full European participation, (the Germans in the lead), illustrates the inability to have a cohesive, unified view of what constitutes a threat to European security, and more broadly to NATO.
An empty gesture that will drive the US and Europe further apart
This clever US move to stop the work on the pipeline looks to me like an empty gesture that at best will delay completion of this energy project. However, we can rest assured that this American blatant interference in a deal freely struck between our NATO Allies and Russia will only engender more anti-American animosities in Europe, and not the necessary reappraisal of what we, as NATO Alliance, consider to be a serious threat to our security when it comes to energy, or other critical areas.