Written by Joshua Thompson.

In a dramatic development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reported to have green-lighted a controversial operation to sabotage the Nord Stream pipeline. This pipeline, crucial for transporting Russian gas to Europe, was blown up in undersea explosions in 2022. Recent reports confirm that German prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian national, identified as Volodymyr Z., in connection with this incident. This individual, possibly residing in Poland, has now come under legal scrutiny.

The explosion, which caused an estimated 800 million cubic meters of gas to leak—equivalent to three months of Denmark’s gas supply—has drawn significant attention. The CIA was reportedly aware of Ukraine’s involvement and, according to some accounts, misled the public about the true nature of the attack. The CIA, State Department, and the Biden administration are accused of deceit over the past two years, with critics like Intel expert Mike Benz accusing them of spreading misinformation to cover their tracks.

A Web of Deception and Misleading Information

The explosive revelations have cast a harsh light on the CIA’s actions and the Biden administration’s response. In February 2024, an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed claims that the CIA orchestrated the pipeline destruction. This followed a detailed exposé by journalist Seymour Hersh, who alleged that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had instructed the CIA to destroy the pipelines in December 2022. Hersh’s findings have been met with skepticism by mainstream media, which has often downplayed or ignored these claims in favor of less substantiated narratives.

According to Hersh, the Biden administration’s real goal was not to deter Russia but to prevent Germany from aligning more closely with Russian energy resources. The destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines was seen as a strategic move to keep Germany and NATO under U.S. influence. Hersh’s source revealed that the plan to sabotage Nord Stream was deliberately chosen because it was accessible and could be carried out covertly, without immediate attribution to the U.S.

Strategic Goals and International Reactions

The saga of the Nord Stream pipelines underscores a larger geopolitical strategy. According to Hersh’s source, the White House’s actions were aimed at deterring Germany from reopening the pipelines and reducing its dependency on Russian gas. Despite threats from President Biden, the pipeline destruction did not prevent Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which occurred in February 2022. The timing and execution of the attack, carried out by a team of divers and Norwegian operatives, suggest a calculated effort to impact European energy politics significantly.

In the aftermath, the U.S. and Norwegian operatives’ roles were largely kept under wraps, with Swedish and Danish authorities reportedly unaware of the full scope of the operation. The use of off-the-shelf technology to trigger the explosion further highlights the covert nature of the mission. Hersh argues that the White House’s silence on the matter represents a betrayal of the mission’s original intent, suggesting that the attack was less about military strategy and more about political maneuvering.

Our Take

The Nord Stream pipeline sabotage is a troubling reminder of the lengths to which governments might go in pursuit of geopolitical objectives. The revelations about the CIA and the Biden administration’s involvement raise serious questions about transparency and accountability in international affairs. The American public deserves a full accounting of these events, as the impact of such covert operations extends beyond immediate political gains, affecting global energy stability and international trust