Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel was aware of Russia's intention to reduce gas supply to blackmail Europe to speed up the Nord Stream 2 pipeline launch but concealed the information, German media outlet Handelsblatt reported on June 6, citing classified documents.
"The investigation has led the authorities to conclude that the sabotage of the pipelines was intentional. However, the assessment is that there is no sufficient basis to pursue a criminal case in Denmark," the Danish police said in a statement.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors. How can we say with confidence that Ukraine is fighting for Europe? Well, there is a simple thought experiment for you. Would Europe be safer if Ukraine’s bravest sons and daughters weren’t willing
The unprovoked war that Russia unleashed on Ukraine has far-reaching consequences. If he wins, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will be elevated to godhood. Russia’s false historic claims to entitlements will explode. Its global propaganda machine will spin arrogant superiority sans pareil to push Russia-style dictatorship even further on countries
Ukrainian bankers, analysts and economists have joined forces to develop a list of sanctions that have not yet been introduced, but could substantially hit Russia and force Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to retreat. Of course, these measures could hurt not only Russians, but also the economies of the collective West.
German economy minister Robert Habeck has ordered the country's energy regulator to halt the certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in response to Russia's military escalation in eastern Ukraine, Spiegel reports. The decision comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized occupied Ukrainian territories in Donbas as independent
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Russia was wielding its Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as “a geopolitical weapon” to threaten energy security in Europe. He added that German relations with the controversial gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine have been a growing irritant for both Washington and Kyiv.
The operator of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline registered a subsidiary in Germany to bring the project closer to certification. The new company, registered in Schwerin, will own and operate the 54-kilometer section of the pipeline in German waters, as well as the landfall facility in Lubmin, according to a
Editor’s Note: This op-ed was published by Atlantic Council. It is republished here with permission. Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved to escalate tensions with Ukraine in recent months by putting a huge and unprecedented Russian military force on its borders while launching a concerted “coercive” diplomatic effort sketching
A new bill that's about to be introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives advocates for the U.S. to increase military funding to Ukraine and implement strict measures against Russia immediately, according to Politico. The bill, titled "Guaranteeing Ukrainian Autonomy by Reinforcing its Defense Act" (GUARD), is signed
Ukraine's state-owned gas company Naftogaz has appealed to the European Commission to take action against its Russian counterpart Gazprom’s alleged monopoly on the European gas market, highlighting the company’s manipulation of natural gas supply during the current European energy crisis. In a press release published on the Naftogaz
Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have reached an agreement to confirm more than 36 nominees for ambassadorships and senior positions in exchange for a vote on renewed sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 project. According to American publication Politico, the deal struck on
Nord Stream 2, an $11 billion undersea gas pipeline meant to connect Russia’s rich gas fields with fuel-hungry European energy markets, has found itself at the center of a conflict between the West and Russia. A great deal of Russian gas had to go overland, through Ukraine, to reach
Ukraine's Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov claimed in a Dec. 12 interview with the Financial Times that Germany had vetoed Ukraine's purchase of anti-drone and anti-sniper equipment via NATO's Support and Procurement Agency. According to Reznikov, who was appointed to his position in November, the veto was made "in the
U.S. President Joe Biden is trying to quash defense bill amendments that would impose strong sanctions on companies involved in Nord Stream 2 and limit his ability to waive them, according to a Nov. 24 article by Foreign Policy magazine. Five Republican senators introduced the amendments, which some Democrats
German Green Party co-leader Annalena Baerbock, who is a vocal opponent of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, will become her country’s foreign minister, according to a coalition deal finalized on Nov. 24. The coalition government, which is composed of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Green Party
Germany’s energy regulator announced on Nov. 16 that it had temporarily suspended the pipeline’s certification process, which would allow it to start operating when approved. The regulator said that Russian gas monopoly Gazprom had not yet set up an operating subsidiary that complied with German law. Following the
Yuriy Vitrenko, the head of the Ukrainian state-owned gas company, made the announcement on Nov. 15. According to Vitrenko, the undersea pipeline, which runs from Russia to Germany bypassing Ukraine, doesn’t comply with EU regulations. Naftogaz will now be able to present arguments against the pipeline’s certification to
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