Since the beginning of the Russian military action in Ukraine in February 2022, the United States and Europe are being exposed on a daily basis for their blatant propaganda tactics. The most recent of these is the Russian nuclear attack bluff which not even those with the wildest imagination can buy into. But before coming to that, let’s discuss a recent example of western anti-Russia propaganda—one involving the Nord Stream explosion.
What is the Nord Stream 2?
Nord Stream 2 is the second of the two submarine gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea that transport Russian gas to Germany. Its construction involved high-profile names, including former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, as well as the Russian government and the state-backed Gazprom. The project began in 2011 and was completed in 2021, but European sanctions on Russian gas imports in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war have put the project on hold indefinitely.
Nord Stream 2 runs alongside an older pipeline—the Nord Stream 1—and is planned to double Russian gas supplies to Germany from 55 billion cubic meters to almost 110 billion cubic meters. While the two pipelines are of immense benefit to both Russia and Germany, they have many rivals. The first is a Norway-Poland pipeline passing through Denmark, whose aim is to reduce Poland’s reliance on Russian gas by bringing in gas from the North Sea. The other, and more relevant rival, are US LNG exports to Europe from across the Atlantic. Naturally, the US would benefit greatly if Russian gas supplies to the continent were disrupted.
The Gas Leaks and Explosions
The gas leaks occurred on 26 September 2022 on both pipelines which were filled with gas even though none of it was being transported. Soon after an underwater explosion was detected near a Danish island, monitors reported a drop in pressure, indicating a leak, in Nord Stream 2, and nearly 17 hours later in Nord Stream 1. Both pipelines have been put out of operation by Russia since then.
While the general consensus is that these explosions were the result of intentional sabotage, evidence incriminating one or more parties is yet to emerge. Several countries, including Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are investigating the explosions, Russia is being kept out. The authorities of these countries have denied Nord Stream permission to examine its own damaged pipelines. The Russian foreign ministry has rebuked the exclusion of Moscow from these key investigations and has raised big questions over the validity of their results.
Can Europe Afford the Political Cost of Boycotting Russian Gas?
Across Europe and Britain, people are protesting in the streets against government policies that have increased their cost of living and inflation. Gas and electricity bills are expected to break records this winter, resulting in a nightmare for the European rulers who are fighting the US war for which their people are paying the ultimate price.
The bonds between the EU nations is weakening, with internal differences gaining strength. Resentment against the monopoly of a few countries is rising within the smaller European countries. These countries are calling out how the authoritative rules, regulations, and policies being pushed by the big EU powers are posing a great threat to the overall unity of the European Union. Relations between Germany and Poland are getting toxic over several issues, ranging from Polish criticism over lack of German support for Ukraine to demands for reparations for the Nazi invasion of Poland.
The coming winter promises to bring a new turning point in the Russia-Ukraine war. History proves that the Russians have a military edge over their opponents during the winter months. In fact, this winter could be a game changer unless Kyiv agrees to engage in dialogue with Moscow.
Putin Exposes the United States
While both Europe and US are collaborating to identify the perpetrators of the Nord Stream explosions, it is obvious that it will not take them very long. While the Europeans and Americans are not pointing fingers at anyone yet, Russian President Vladimir Putin has openly accused the US and its allies of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines, calling the US a direct beneficiary of blocked Russian gas supplies to Europe.
On 30 September 2022, while officially declaring Russia’s annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhia, and urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to begin a dialogue, President Putin directly attacked the United States for its colonial policies. He made it clear that Ukraine was being used as a pawn by the US to pursue its anti-Russian agenda.
Furthermore, cautioning those who were seeing a possible collapse of Russian power, Putin said that the Soviet Union’s disintegration that was a past and that Russia was much stronger today. Putin’s strong and unambiguous narrative is a big countermeasure to the poisonous Western propaganda.
Bluff, Hoax, and Propaganda—the Western Arsenal Against Russia
The US wanted to provoke Russia by offering Ukraine NATO membership. However, Russia called out the western bluff through its military action and exposed the hollow western promises of support to Ukraine. As Russia consolidated its gains, the US sprung up a new hoax—by bringing in the nuclear angle. US President Joe Biden remarked on 7 October 2022 that Russia could launch a nuclear attack on Ukraine, and termed it as a possible ‘Armageddon’ and a bigger crisis than the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Propaganda is another key weapon of the United States against Russia. Among these are dubious reports of rising dissent among the Russians and Ukrainian forces reclaiming some of the territory annexed by Russia. Russian news sources have already been blocked by major social media companies including Meta and Twitter, while allowing fake social media trends against Russia to be played out.
The western media’s biased reporting is pushing this war toward a major crisis by spreading hatred and chaos.
There is absolutely no possibility of a nuclear war being initiated by Russia. The world is aware of US and western warmongering policies and attitudes. People remember the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), biological, and chemical weapons that the Americans discovered in Iraq. Hence, it is obvious which side has greater credibility in this war of propaganda.
