Putin’s plot “dead in the water” as Germany tolls the death knell for gas – army poised to collapse | Sciences | New


[ad_1]

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is to transport gas from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine and Poland, saw its certification suspended yesterday. The German energy regulator temporarily halted the project after saying the consortium behind the pipeline, Swiss company Nord Stream 2 AG, needed to form a German-law subsidiary to obtain an operating license.

The move could be a lifeline for Ukraine, which is said to have nearly 100,000 Russian troops stationed at the Russian-Ukrainian border, as many fear an imminent land grab.

Brandon Weichert, author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, said Express.co.uk: “Europeans depend on Russian energy sources.

“Putin must claim certain former Soviet states, like Ukraine, in order to extend Russia’s defensive perimeter further to the west, thus permanently retarding NATO / EU growth and, possibly, allowing the Kremlin to work on it. separation of NATO / EU entities entirely.

“Putin plans to make Ukraine a key part of his nascent Eurasian Economic Union (a coalition of Central Asian states and some Eastern European states, all led by Russia).

“Ukraine is the key element of this proposed UES.”

This morning, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Yuriyovych issued a joint statement signaling their commitment to prevent a Russian invasion.

They said: “Ukraine and the UK are strategic partners in security and defense.

“Our governments have no desire to be antagonistic or in any way seek to strategically surround or undermine the Russian Federation. We are concerned about the strengthening and military activity of Russia around the borders of Ukraine.

“The national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine are indisputable.

“The UK stands by the Ukrainian people and will continue its long-standing determination to support them.”

But Germany’s decision to suspend Nord Stream 2 may have already struck a hammer in helping the West.

READ MORE: End of the world warning: NASA satellites make disastrous atmosphere discovery

Russia’s economy relies heavily on oil and gas exports, with sales accounting for up to one-fifth of the country’s GDP.

Siemon T. Wezeman, senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Institute, said: “The revenues of the Russian government are highly dependent on revenues from oil and gas exports.

“After the publication of plans for 2020-22 at the end of 2019, oil prices entered a period of turmoil.

“These economic factors could limit future Russian military spending. “

As the West leans on Ukraine and many EU countries now seek to turn away from Russian gas, this moment could signal a tipping point in the balance.

Mr Weichert added: “Putin plans to make Ukraine a key part of his nascent Eurasian Economic Union (a coalition made up of Central Asian states and some Eastern European states, all led by Russia).

DO NOT MISS
Leonid meteor shower: shooting stars to honor the United Kingdom [REVEAL]
Archaeologists stunned by ‘evidence’ of biblical rebellion [INSIGHT]
Mysterious virus outbreak baffles scientists as cases soar in Pakistan [REPORT]

“Ukraine is the key element of this proposed UES.

“As long as the current Kiev government insists on a Western alliance rather than a Russian one, Putin’s UEE is dead in the water and his greater designs for Russian domination in Europe and beyond are prevented from materializing.”

The CEO of Ukrainian energy giant Naftogaz has already accused Russian Gazprom of using natural gas as a “geopolitical weapon”.

They called on the United States and Germany to take action against Moscow.

It comes after fears rose in Europe over a gas crisis, as Mr Putin reportedly suspended supplies as he sought approval for Nord Stream 2.

He saw the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, admit that the bloc is “vulnerable” to Russian gas domination.

Today, EU energy ministers are looking for ways to avoid the Kremlin.

Kiev’s relations with Russia collapsed in 2014 when Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula to Ukraine and supported pro-Russian separatists in a conflict in Donbass, eastern Ukraine.

The conflict has claimed more than 14,000 lives.

[ad_2]

Comments are closed.