Doesn't pass the smell test (also we're talking about the entire EU having issues not just Germany).
Gigantic risk for the US and would eventually be found out which would destroy any semblance of relations with the EU and significantly strengthen Russia's hand.
US companies (and others) are going to sell LNG to Europe for huge profits anyway.
These pipelines weren't deliving gas anyway
The US would prefer energy markets to be stable and not have sky-high prices
Russia's invasion of Ukraine was one of the greatest foreign policy gifts in United States history and it significantly strengthened US alliances across the globe and put the entire west in lockstep with each other with regards to Russia and China. Placing that gift at risk is beyond foolish.
It doesn't pass the smell test for the simple reason that Germany and the EU were already ending dependency on Russian gas, because Russia has made it abundantly clear that any such dependency on Russia is a national security threat.
This wasn't done to coerce European countries. This was done to stir chaos and make it look like someone other than Russia committed sabotage.
Europe knows the US mistreats us, it is no secret. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised to learn it was a UK submarine under US instructions for example. We know how the US spy on us, spy on private companies to favor their own, mess with our currencies, isolate us and exploit us. Uses us as cannon fodder. We remember all the times the US was caught spying on our leaders, deciding our elections, threatening invasion and abducting people. We have seen the news and read the cables. We remember when Obama told us they would not kill US citizens without a trial, only foreigners like ourselves. We know how foreign policy works. One day maybe we'll have the abnormality of leaders that work on the best interest of their people, maybe then the US will learn the world remembers. Nothing lasts forever.
Everything the US does to Europeans Europeans do back to them. Why do you think the spying allegations went away so quickly? Because German and French intelligence spy on the US as well, and so it's better for both parties if they just shut up about it. Everybody spies on everybody, that's the entire reason of existence for intelligence agencies that every country has.
Europe live's on the US's teat. Ukraine and Nato do not exist with the US. Without US LNG Europe would be begging Putin for gas, leaving Ukraine to rot. Without US defense spending Russia would have rolled through Ukraine and be on its way to Berlin again. Without the US in WW2 Europe would be speaking German or Russian. On and on.
Honestly, the timing doesn't make sense. I'd maybe the US blowing the pipelines a year ago when it looked as though NS2 might conceivably go online, but given how frosty relationships are right now between the EU and Russia, and given the scramble to wean Europe off Russian gas-dependency already is in progress, there just doesn't appear to be much of a point, not in the short term and not in the long term.
Why would Russia invade and annex Ukraine? The answer can be stupid people making stupid decisions, don't assume everything done by a nation-state is logical.
> Russia has good geopolitical reasons for invading Ukraine.
They had good reasons to maybe want to dominate their neighbor. What good reasons were there to risk everything over an all out land war, and what reasons remain for continuing a fight they are losing ?
"Gigantic risk for the US and would eventually be found out"
This is predicated on the assumption that the US intelligence community would leak it anytime soon (within the current presidency). That seems like a very poor assumption. If it's never proven they did it, there's no real risk because people who don't want to believe will invent other explanations. You see it happening in this thread already - it's not the country that literally said they had ways to ensure NS2 would never activate, no, it must be the country that built it. 4D chess!
"These pipelines weren't deliving gas anyway"
No, but that could have been changed very quickly if wanted. All three pipelines were pressurized. NS2 was all new equipment, ready and waiting to go.
"The US would prefer energy markets to be stable and not have sky-high prices"
The US has consistently and strongly opposed European dependence on Russian natgas under (at least) two different presidents. Neither of them seemed to care much about the question of what to replace it with. At any rate such an operation would be signed off by Biden and highly classified, so it's not like "the US" would have an opinion on what matters more anyway, just a senile old man.
1. I'm not saying the US did it.
2. I just want to remind you, that you're talking about a country literally renaming their national dish to "freedom fries" over France not wanting to join in a war, started under provably false pretenses.
French fries are not the National Dish of the USA, and it was done in the cafeterias in Congress (as well as a few other zealous restaurants). But to portray it as a country renaming their national dish is an over-exaggeration.
As a US Citizen. I laughed at "Freedom Fries" as did many I know.
The US is not homogeneous or even close.
As an example:
I remember warning people when visiting over seas: Trump is many things. Stupid is not one.
I stand by that statement. I don't agree with the man. But I will never mistake him for a total fool. Did he mis-calcuate. Thankfully, so far yes. But 2024+ will tell the truth on that, alas.
