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Why the 2022 Nord Stream bombings muddle Berlin-Kyiv ties

From Al Jazeera · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources In the courts
  • The 2022 destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines ended gas flows between Russia and Germany and exposed the risks of Berlin’s reliance on Russian fossil fuel.
  • Suspected divers Volodymyr Zhuravlev and Serhii Kuznetsov were arrested in Croatia and Italy respectively, then linked to extradition and trial proceedings in Germany.
  • Analysts say the sabotage shocked Germany’s economy, reshaped its energy use and continues to affect relations between Berlin and Kyiv.

The Nord Stream pipeline blasts turned a $19 billion symbol of Germany’s “change through trade” policy into a reminder of its dependence on Russia.

On September 26, 2022, underwater explosions created a kilometre-wide geyser of natural gas in the Baltic Sea and halted the pressurised flows from Russia’s Yamal peninsula to Germany’s Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The release became the worst methane leak in history, according to the article.

abandoned by his country and president

· Serhii KuznetsovHe reportedly used these words while complaining about his treatment after his alleged role in the sabotage team.

The suspected sabotage has since produced an unlikely connection to Hollywood. Director Doug Liman is making Snake Island, a drama starring Sean Penn and Adrien Brody about Ukrainian divers who allegedly use a rented yacht to attack the pipelines. One suspected diver, Volodymyr Zhuravlev, served as a consultant on the film set in Croatia. The 46-year-old father of three was arrested in Pula on August 19 and is due to be extradited to Germany.

The Nord Stream sabotage reinforced a key lesson from the 2022 energy crisis, Germany had become far too dependent on Russian fossil gas.

· Claudia KemfertThe Berlin-based energy economist described the lasting lesson of the pipeline destruction for Germany.

Another alleged member of the team, Serhii Kuznetsov, was arrested in Italy last year and extradited to Germany. He reportedly worked for Ukrainian intelligence and said he had been “abandoned by his country and president”.

The arrests and expected trials have kept the blasts at the centre of Germany’s economic and political debate. Claudia Kemfert of Berlin’s Institute for Economic Research said the sabotage reinforced the lesson of the 2022 energy crisis: Germany had become too dependent on Russian fossil gas. The pipelines were designed to carry 110 billion cubic metres of gas a year, and Donald Trump said in 2022 that they had made Germany “captive to Russia”.

captive to Russia

· Donald TrumpHe used the phrase in 2022 to describe Germany’s dependence created by the pipelines.
About this summary

Originally published by Al Jazeera. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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