Putin Decides to Move from Blackmail to Terrorism — Physical Damage to Energy Infrastructure

Ukraine systematically warns its partners about Russia‘s terrorist plans regarding energy infrastructure, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has reported.

Russia’s attempts to persuade European governments to make concessions, including the lifting of sanctions, with energy blackmail, have been defeated. Demands to pay for gas in rubles, stoppage of gas supply due to allegedly “technical” reasons, and other methods did not have any success. Instead, Europe showed strength and began fast diversification and refusal of the blackmailer’s energy resources. Therefore, Putin decided to move from blackmail to terrorism — physical damage to the energy infrastructure. His goal is to disrupt supply routes and issue an ultimatum: launch Nord Stream 2 because you have no other choice. Public hints of such a scenario have already been heard from Russian officials.

“Ukraine constantly monitors Russian actions that show signs of preparation for the implementation of this strategy and informs its partners about them. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, publicly warned about Russia’s preparations for possible damage to the Ukrainian gas transport infrastructure, in particular under the pretext of provocations on the territory of Russia itself, in order to force Germany to launch Nord Stream 2. We also have information on possible similar plans of Russia regarding the ‘Turkish Stream’,” the diplomats noted.

They emphasised that part of the Kremlin’s strategy was its obsessive accusations of Ukraine and other Western countries of allegedly planning or carrying out actions against the energy infrastructure. Ukraine categorically rejects such accusations and calls on its partners not to succumb to Russia’s manipulations and attempts to accuse others of its own terrorist actions. This is an informational cover for the malicious plans of Russia itself. In this context, we consider the false statements about the alleged detention of saboteurs who planned to damage the Turkish Stream as part of the Russian disinformation strategy.

The Ukrainian side insists that the only way partners can prevent Russian energy terrorism is to take a firm position now and publicly declare that there will be no conditions for the launch of Nord Stream 2 or the lifting of sanctions from Russia.

“We urge our partners not to delay sending a clear message to Moscow that will make it abandon its terrorist plans. By remaining firm and united, we will defeat Russian energy terrorism just as its energy blackmailing has been defeated,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said.

Natalia Tolub