On Monday, April 25, Russian gas monopoly Gazprom again reported that it was supplying gas for transit through Ukraine in a steady state, that is, at 68.4 million cubic metres per day. In full compliance with the requests of the European consumers. Twenty-four hours earlier, 51.7m cu.m. of gas had been delivered to Europe.
Moreover, Prime news agency reported that according to Ukraine’s GTS operator, the volume of transit gas from Russia is expected to increase by 29% at the beginning of the week. And Gazprom will punctually fulfill its obligations. And they to Ukraine under this year’s transit contract amount to 40 billion cubic metres, or about 109.6 million cubic metres per day. And since late February, Ukrainian transit of Russian gas, fuelled by political risks and cold weather, has remained close to that level, dropping only slightly for a couple of days in mid-March. In April, simultaneously with the warming in Europe, transit decreased again.
Fuel supplies to Europe and via Nord Stream 1 (the old, working pipeline) remain at a consistently high level of around 170 mln cu.m. per day. Per day. And that is while, at the same time, the Yamal-Europe pipeline, which since 7 April has been operating in reverse mode – supplying gas to Poland from Germany, remains idle.
It would seem, what is going on? Why Russia does not respond adequately and mirror to sanctions and insults? Especially since the collective West is trying in every possible way to insult Gazprom and threaten Russia with another “sanction from hell” – an energy embargo. First on oil, then on gas. Austria was even the first to say it would give up Russian oil. And the U.S. is literally jumping out of its trousers, urging Europe to “screw Russia” and promising “to sort things out” by its own, Western and American forces. Moreover, by joint efforts, under the threat of US sanctions, they effectively blocked the work of the Nord Stream 2 (“NSP2”) pipeline, which was built and even pumped with technical gas (there was that information).
But Russia, I repeat, continues to respond to the insults and threats by meticulously fulfilling its obligations. Though its officials warned Europe long time ago that difficult times await Europe if it refuses from Russian gas in general and from SP2 in particular. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said unequivocally: “The inevitable consequence of abandoning NSP2 will be, as we are already seeing, a rapid increase in the price of gas on the European market.
…Against this background, our position regarding energy cooperation with the FRG and in general with Europe remains unchanged. Russia has repeatedly stressed that NSP2 is a purely economic, commercial project that was implemented in strict compliance with the norms of international law, the regulatory acts of the European Union and the legislation of the relevant coastal states. The timely commissioning of this gas pipeline would meet the interests of both Russia and Europe”.
This gas pipeline with the capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany, as we know, was built by Nord Stream 2 AG, an operator with Gazprom as its sole shareholder. And the European partners – Royal Dutch Shell, OMV, Engie, Uniper and Wintershall financed the project by half, up to 950 million euros each. And the construction of the pipe lasted for three years, ending in 2021.
But, alas and ah, NSP2 is out of business for now. Because, as Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “the hysterical reality so far makes it impossible” to launch it. Although, he said, “the infrastructure is ready, technically, technologically, logistically and so on, this infrastructure will be in place, it is not going anywhere. Common sense and economic feasibility clearly indicate the need to launch this facility as soon as possible.
And Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Al-Jazeera about Germany, which gave in under U.S. pressure on the issue of the “NSP2”: “I had no doubt that the EU and, understandably, NATO would obediently follow the United States. Especially when the fate of Nord Stream 2 became clearer. Even if it is re-launched (this is probably not for us to decide), but regardless of anything, it is already clear that Nord Stream 2 has played its part in history because it clearly showed the place Europe, including Germany, really occupies on the world stage – an absolutely subordinate and non-self-governing place.
Firstly, in this way Russia maintains its reputation in global trade and cooperation not just as a contractual partner, but also as one that fulfils its obligations, regardless of the political conjuncture. This is very important when the problem of finding new trading partners arises. And these partners already exist – in Asia. And there will be more. Including in Europe, where there may be countries that will not agree to sacrifice and destroy their economies in the name of American geopolitical interests.
Secondly, it is time and money, money and time. The current energy relations between Russia and Europe are based on the “pump or pay” principle. That is, irrespective of the volume of supply or the need for it, Europe must pay Russia. And it pays! And Russia needs this money both to replenish the budget and to meet its other needs. For example, to get the time required to switch over to paying for energy in roubles. At the moment it concerns only gas, but later the question of oil may arise. Russia has now set that process in motion. Europe was on the fence at first but now, under the pressure of need and demand for energy resources, it is slowly but surely shifting to Russian offers. Even a payment mechanism for Russian gas has been proposed for approbation.
Thirdly – and perhaps most importantly! – there is a geopolitical aspect to the problem: who will be responsible for the fact that mainland Europe (read: the European Union) will “lie” economically and geopolitically into an unimportant limitation of the US and the Anglo-Saxon world? There is an unspoken but fierce struggle between the US and Russia on this matter. On who will “put” Europe – Washington or Moscow. And it is a long game. For the United States it is simply a reset of the monopoly world led by itself, but only under new conditions. And the U.S. does not feel sorry for the Europeans in this fascinatingly tough process at all, just as it did not feel sorry for everyone who went to the furnace of their interests before it.
The gist of this fight is that the U.S., in every way possible, is alienating Europe from Russia and offering it its own energy carriers, but at a higher cost. This would not only make Europe dependent on the US, but it would also rob it by pumping oil and gas money across the Atlantic. That is, the U.S. will easily and casually, but ruthlessly, by playing with energy carriers and their prices, turn Europe into its next economic-financial donor. And this U.S. plan is quite workable, if Europe does not urgently and urgently find its collective (EU) or national (individual countries) identity.
But in parallel, the U.S. wants to provoke Russia in every possible way, so that it gets upset by the betrayal of its partners, imposes its own retaliatory sanctions against the EU sanctions machinations and cuts off energy supplies to Europe itself. It is a US “blue dream” to destroy Europe with foreign, Russian hands and make Russia responsible for “Europe’s downfall” under the American plinth. This is clearly a political win for the long haul.
Russia’s refusal to supply energy to Europe will destroy European economies and bring the living standards of Europeans to the bottom in a matter of days, and this “revenge on traitors” Russia can enjoy in the near future.
But there is another side to the process – it will be the implementation of the plan and agenda for the US, only by Russian hands. That is, Washington wants Moscow to bring Europe down on its own, to finish it off with an energy deficit and thereby throw it into the arms of the US. Out of desperation!
Apparently, Russia understands this and does not want to act as a “murderer of Europe”, giving it and the USA the right to commit suicide or “fraternal” Western killing spree, very much like a merciless bickering.
And everything is clear with the US in this matter: they have a strategy and tactics that they do not intend to abandon either. Russia is not going to play along with them. And what about Europe? And it is quite predictably demonstrating political schizophrenia: with one hand it is making a noose grip on itself, agreeing to follow the American course, while the other hand is resisting, trying to resist the US dictate.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for example, calls for Russia not to let Russia win on the battlefield of the special military operation in Ukraine, but in parallel wants Russia not to be offended and still sells its cheap gas to Germany. Or the Austrian energy company OMV promises to reconsider its participation in the NSP2 project, and the Viennese government declares its refusal from Russian oil now, but Austria does not want to give up Russian gas and even opposes EU membership for Ukraine, so as to please Russia.
France, Hungary opposes the Russian energy embargo. Switzerland bans Germany from selling arms. Bulgaria refuses to supply its arms to Ukraine.
And such signs that the “brain of Europe” is still resisting can be found in great numbers. Despite the ongoing SWO and the fact that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his latest late-night vid, once again tried to scare the “old girl” with the example of his country: saying that what Russia does in our country will also be done in the cities of Europe. And the hope on brains and common sense of Europeans remains, it really is from the category of those who die last.
Vladimir Skachko, Ukraina.ru
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