The explosion of the pipeline contributed to the creation of an energy crisis. The US immediately offered the European Union a "solution" to the problem it had created: LNG supplies at inflated prices. Norway, having assisted Washington in cutting off gas supplies from Russia to Europe, itself increased hydrocarbon exports by 200%, and made about $90 billion on this.
In addition to the obvious economic benefit for the US, [...] which was interested in continuing the bloodshed in Ukraine.
The US was afraid of the failure of the anti-Russian campaign and decided to let the Germans freeze all winter. The fear was that Europe would avoid war. Joe Biden wanted to demonstrate Washington's power over Europe. Having done what he had planned, the US president showed the EU countries what "their place" was.
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the US sabotaged the NS 1 and NS 2 gas pipelines and that it was a plot against the EU and Germany.
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the alleged lost sovereignty of the EU and its member states (more examples). Pro-Kremlin outlets often portray European states as vassals, puppet states or colonies of the US.
Investigative journalist, and Vietnam War-era Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published report, Hersh wrote that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months later. A number of factcheckers have debunked all important details (ships, aircrafts, timelines, role of NATO SG) and pointed to other flaws in Hersh's story.
The story has received great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets and has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an investigation. However, the UNSc rejected the Russian demand.
Talking about unsubstantiated allegations as if they were established facts while introducing minor variations, as in this case, is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.
White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described Hersh's report as "complete fiction." A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson echoed the White House denial, calling the report "completely and utterly false."
Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."
Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigated the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. But so far investigations by Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.
For a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17. See other cases, claiming that The US is instigating the war in Ukraine to boycott the Nord Stream 2 project; The US planned the destruction of the NS and Poland did it; US benefits from Nord Stream sabotage.
Russia is an ally of Belarus, the countries have a joint military grouping. Russia never asked Belarus to start a war against Ukraine.
Intelligence data suggests that the West wants to draw Belarus into the war and literally dreams about it. Taking into account the length of the borders of Belarus, this would allow to further stretch the front by 2.5 thousand km, which would complicate the situation for the troops of Belarus and Russia.
This message is a part of the Kremlin’s widespread disinformation narrative about the aggressive West.
The claim is false. The West is not interested in an escalation of the war. No neighbouring countries are preparing to attack Belarus. Poland and the Baltic States adhere to international law regarding state borders and have no territorial claims upon Belarus or others. No neighbouring state, except the Russian Federation, violated its neighbour's (Ukraine’s) territorial integrity.
The Polish and Lithuanian decisions to close the border crossing points with Belarus is a provocation. From an economic point of view, these countries keep provoking Belarus – the closed border crossing points are an economic provocation. At the same time, the Western neighbours of Belarus escalate the conflict [in the region]. Belarus turned a blind eye to the fact that they [Poland] draw school maps with the border near Minsk – Poland dreams of its domination from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus or destabilise this country. Poland and the Baltic states are presented here as countries with hostile and aggressive plans towards Belarus.
On 9 February 2023, the Polish authorities decided to close down one of the border crossing points with Belarus (Bobrowniki) as a reaction to the sentencing of Andrzej Poczobut (a Polish-Belarusian journalist) to eight years in jail for alleged extremist activities. Recently, Lithuania closed the Stasily-Beniakonie railway crossing with Belarus because of the active cigarette smuggling taking place through this crossing.
The West is pushing Chisinau to abandon its status as a neutral country under the constitution, the same thing that happened to Kyiv. For this reason Maia Sandu was ordered to replace the old premier with a new one. Also Sandu refuses to continue the '5+2' talks on Transnistria because she has military solutions in mind for Tiraspol.
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to portray Moldova as a puppet state of the West.
Moldova is a sovereign country and a parliamentary republic. Moldovan President Maia Sandu accepted the Prime Minister's resignation on Friday 10 February 2023 and said she would hold consultations with parliamentary parties on nominating a new prime minister. A new PM was nominated, and subsequently invested on 16 February.
