Date = web link to news article. Check the source!Text after date = article headline and c/p from article
This looks like The the most comprehensible collections of newspaper articles and events about Nordstream affair as told by official channels.
center left one person dead and 21 injured. The blast cut off supplies from the hub to southern Europe for a short period, prompting Italy to declare a state of emergency (Negligence.)
[M: The next time was not an accident but a criminal act]
Truss said, "and I'm working with allies and partners to highlight the strategic risks of this project."
"Europe must reduce its dependence on Russian gas," Truss added.
The current crisis in Ukraine is enabling the UK to demonstrate exactly what Global Britain means and how it intends to develop as a post-Brexit European security actor.
Executing the Strategy
The March 2021 Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper confirmed the ‘Global Britain’ slogan as the cornerstone of UK foreign policy to 2030. This phrase was first used after the 2016 Brexit referendum to help develop a post-Brexit vision for the UK. However, it was criticised as overly vague rhetoric, with a succession of ministers unable to fully explain what it meant or how it was different to existing UK policy. This vacuum of detail made the slogan an easy target for anti-Brexit campaigners.
Yet the Integrated Review was clear on the UK’s approach to European security: ‘The Euro-Atlantic region will remain critical to the UK’s security and prosperity … Russia will remain the most acute direct threat to the UK, and the US will continue to ask more from its allies in Europe in sharing the burden of collective security’.
A European Security Network
The UK foreign secretary has spoken of the UK desire to build a ‘global network of liberty’. This is well-advanced in Europe, and recent activity is providing insight into exactly how the UK intends to develop as a post-Brexit European security actor.
21 Jan 2022 - Liz Truss declares '100 per cent' loyalty to Boris Johnson
...as Tory leadership row rumbles on. The Foreign Secretary - who is seen as a potential replacement for the Prime Minister - insisted 'there is no leadership contest' as she sidestepped questions on whether she had ambitions.
25 Jan 2022 - UK calls for end to Nord Stream 2 in event of RU attack on Ukraine
In an interview with Sky News on Monday, the country’s foreign minister Liz Truss said she was “very clear that Nord Stream 2 should not continue in the event of an attack on Ukraine.” When asked whether she believed the project should continue at all, she replied that Europe needs to reduce its reliance on Russian natural gas, as troop buildups at the border between Russia and Ukraine increasingly stoke fears among western countries over the outbreak of an armed conflict. Earlier in the week, the Kremlin rejected fears that Russia could halt gas supplies if new sanctions are introduced. "Russia has fulfilled its treaty obligations impeccably in the most difficult moments of confrontation between East and West," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax agency, according to the Tagesspiegel.
27 Jan 2022 - Global Britain Strikes Back
The UK’s Integrated Review laid down the challenge that ‘What Global Britain means in practice is best defined by actions rather than words’.
A Widening Gulf Between the EU and UK
By contrast, the EU is, thus far, having a bad crisis. It is the latest strain on the requirements of commonality in the face of geopolitical realities, and unity is fragile. Actions by the bloc’s leadership are undermining this unity in military and non-military responses to the crisis.
The UK’s policy of a strong NATO having primacy has been vindicated, and the Alliance will likely be strengthened following this episode at the expense of the EU
The EU has been completely side-lined by Russia. This has reinforced the Cold War maxims that the US and NATO are the leading European security actors. It vindicates the UK’s policy of a strong NATO having primacy, and the Alliance will likely be strengthened following this episode at the expense of the EU. Moreover, the EU seems fixated on sticking to its original plan for 2022 and publishing its new defence strategy: the EU Strategic Compass in March.
However, the strategy is based on a November 2020 threat assessment that does not take account of renewed Russian aggression and the potential for a rewriting of the European security order by force. This might lead policymakers in the UK to conclude that it is not negatively impacted by the absence of an institutional defence and security relationship with the EU, and that it would be supporting a flawed strategy when it has its own that appears to be working. Politically, the current government will be encouraged and seek to enhance the Global Britain narrative of the UK as an independent middle power.However, both the Integrated Review and the first draft of the EU’s Strategic Compass declared respectively that: ‘We (the UK) will cooperate with the EU on matters of security and defence as independent partners, where this is in our interest’ and ‘We (the EU) remain open to a broad and ambitious security and defence engagement with the United Kingdom’.
With the UK moving in a different direction to the larger EU countries, it seems unlikely at this stage that such cooperation will occur. Instead, the UK has diversified its options by using its patchwork of alliances to its advantage and leveraging the key capabilities that are of most value to smaller European countries: high-end military capabilities; signals intelligence through GCHQ; and civilian and military cyber capabilities.
There is also an opportunity for the UK to use these partnerships to shape the direction of European security to reinforce NATO’s primacy in Europe. This will both maximise its value to the US and fulfil the UK’s traditional transatlantic role, all while outside of the EU.
Europe Still Matters to London
The current crisis has enabled the UK to demonstrate its continuing desire to be a leader in European security, both via NATO and as an independent actor.
30 Jan 2022 - Nord Stream2 stops! Liz Truss issues ultimatum to Germany 'we cannot allow that to happen'
31 Jan 2022 - I had a discussion with my colleague Foreign Minister Baerbock
...last week about precisely this issue, and I welcome the statements from her and Chancellor Scholz about Nord Stream 2, in which they were very clear that it will not go ahead in the event of a Russian incursion. We do need to reduce dependence on Russian gas. I welcome the work that the United States is doing to look at how supplies can be augmented, and we are working with partners across the middle east. This is a strategic issue for Europe and we do need to reduce dependence on Russian gas—there is no doubt about it.
I have been very clear about our position on Nord Stream 2. More broadly, we need to reduce dependence on Russian gas. On the discussions taking place in various formats, we cannot have a situation in which Russian aggression is rewarded in any way. It has no auspices over Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we are very clear on that. What we are working on, and what tomorrow’s meeting of Foreign Ministers is about, is making sure that we are co-ordinating our positions across NATO, and we are very clear on those red line
4 Feb 2022 - Liz Truss clashes with Putin henchman Sergei Lavrov over Ukraine in Moscow showdown as he rejects demand to cool 'Cold War rhetoric' and slams West's 'ultimatums and moralising' - as TV host accuses her of 'behaving in the classic British colonial style'
4 Feb 2022 - PM Johnson: Europe needs to "Remove Nord Stream II from Their veins"
7 Feb 2022 - UK sends more than 100 SAS and SBS special forces advisors to Kiev as more than 1,000 elite US troops arrive in Poland'
The UK has sent more than 100 special forces advisors to Kiev to train Ukrainian soldiers as tensions reach boiling point over fears of a Russian invasion.
8 Feb 2022 - EXU-1, FBI Host Maritime Post-Blast Investigation Course at NAS Key West
11 Feb 2022 - Defence Secretary meets Russian counterpart in MoscowThe Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace MP, today (11 February) held talks with the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergey Shoygu.
Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin also met his counterpart, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov.
14 Feb 2022 - PM Johnson: Europe needs to "Remove Nord Stream II from Their veins"
14 Feb 2022 - UK's Liz Truss: ‘Russians didn’t like what I had to say’
Foreign secretary says she had a 'clear message' to deliver to the Kremlin
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss defended her decision to hold talks in Moscow with foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, insisting she had to deliver a clear message to Russia.
The talks between the Ms Truss and Mr Lavrov last week were tense and ended in an awkward press conference in which the Russian minister appeared to question her understanding of the crisis.
“Of course, the Russians didn’t like what I had to say but I had to deliver a message to Vladimir Putin’s government," she said on Monday.
“I went to Russia to deliver a very clear message, which is that it’s Russia who is the aggressor.
“Of course, the Russians didn’t like what I had to say but I say it nevertheless. And I want them to desist and I want them to be aware that there will be severe costs of an invasion.”
Mr Lavrov described the meeting as a “conversation between deaf and dumb”, claiming Ms Truss did not listen to Russia’s position and the UK was unprepared for the talks.
“What I think all European countries need to do now is get Nord Stream out of the bloodstream,” Boris Johnson said.
“Yank out that hypodermic drip feed of Russian hydrocarbons that is keeping so many European economies going.”
14 Feb 2022 - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Europe needs to "snip the drip feed into our bloodstream from Nord Stream". BBC
14 Feb 2022 - We must now wean ourselves off dependence on Putin’s oil and gas.
17 Feb 2022 - Russia must pull back, or there will be trouble in the pipeline: article by Liz Truss
It’s vital that the Russian people and the Russian government hear directly from us about the price they would pay for a further invasion. Not only would there be massive consequences bringing severe economic costs for Russia through an unprecedented package of coordinated sanctions. It would also hit their other strategic interests including Nord Stream 2 - making it unconscionable for the pipeline to go ahead.
Alongside our allies, we are taking a hard-headed approach, which means being ready to accept short-term pain for long-term gain, whether through imposing sanctions or cutting strategic dependence.
It’s vital that the Russian people and the Russian government hear directly from us about the price they would pay for a further invasion.
Not only would there be massive consequences bringing severe economic costs for Russia through an unprecedented package of coordinated sanctions.
It would also hit their other strategic interests including Nord Stream 2 - making it unconscionable for the pipeline to go ahead.
Alongside our allies, we are taking a hard-headed approach, which means being ready to accept short-term pain for long-term gain, whether through imposing sanctions or cutting strategic dependence.
18 Feb 2022 - G7 leaders agreed this afternoon to work in unity to "maximise the economic price" that Putin will pay.
Johnson says this "must include" ending reliance on Russian oil and gas - hails Germany's suspension of Nord Stream 2.
19 Feb 2022 - PM speech at the Munich Security Conference
We must now wean ourselves off dependence on Putin’s oil and gas.I understand the costs and complexities of this effort and the fact this is easier said than done, so I am grateful for Chancellor Scholz’s assurances about Nord Stream 2, but the lessons of the last few years, and of Gazprom’s obvious manipulation of European gas supply, cannot be ignored.
We must ensure that by making full use of alternative suppliers and technology, we make Russia’s threats redundant.
That will be the work of the months and years to come, as well as the necessary and overdue steps that we in the UK must take to protect our own financial system.
22 Feb 2022 - Watch live as Boris Johnson announces sanctions after Germany halts Nord Stream
22 Feb 2022 - Boris Johnson’s Russia sanctions slammed by MPs as not tough enoughBoris Johnson’s sanctions against Russia have been slammed as not tough enough by MPs.The UK is placing penalties on five Russian banks and three "very high net worth" individuals linked to Vladmir Putin after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine.Tory MP Tom Tugendhat said UK sanctions against Russia should go “much further, much faster”.The Foreign Affairs Committee chairman made the comments after the prime minister announced the “first barrage” of punitive measures.
... withstand the economic impact of Russia’s actions. We are using our economic heft to inflict pain on Russia and to support the Ukrainian people.
[M: It is odd that Ukraine got $500million just a day before the conflict started.]
...UK military can 'kick Russia's backside', defence sec says Defence Secretary Ben Wallace tells military personnel that Vladimir Putin has gone "full tonto" over Ukraine and left himself with "no friends". The British army "kicked the backside of Tsar Nicholas I in 1853 in Crimea", he adds, and "can always do it again".
24 Feb 2022 - PM: West must end Russian ‘grip’ on politics by ending dependence on Putin’s oil
Boris Johnson is rallying European leaders to sever the dependence on Russian oil that has given Vladimir Putin a “grip” on Western politics in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Johnson praised Germany’s decision to finally block the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, which is expected to deliver a major economic blow to Moscow.
He also held talks with Jonas Store, the Prime Minister of Norway, which is one of the world’s biggest oil and gas exporters.
... it will “exit” its joint ventures with Gazprom and any related entities, including the NS2 project. Shell’s CEO, Ben van Beurden, has said "Our decision to exit is one we take with conviction. We cannot – and we will not – stand by".
28 Feb 2022 - Putin issued nuclear order in response to Liz Truss comments, Kremlin says
‘I will not name the authors of these statements, although it was the British foreign secretary’
Vladimir Putin put Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces on high alert in response to comments made by foreign secretary Liz Truss, the chief spokesperson for the Russian president has said.
Mr Putin’s command, issued on Sunday, significantly escalated the crisis over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, raising the spectre of a worldwide nuclear conflict.
Today, his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov blamed “unacceptable” comments from Western politicians for prompting the move, and singled out Ms Truss.
“There were unacceptable statements about possible conflict situations and even confrontations and clashes between Nato and Russia,” said Mr Peskov.
“I will not name the authors of these statements, although it was the British foreign secretary.”
Opposition to the pipeline has been fierce. Russia and Germany’s longstanding view has been that the pipeline is a purely economic project. However, the US, UK and the EU have all expressed concerns over its geopolitical implications.
The direct supply of gas to Europe via Nord Stream 2 would allow Russia to largely bypass Ukraine
[M: Ukraine pipeline is about 50y old, NS min life is 50y, Ukraine receives about $1-2B/year for transportation fees.]
March 2022 - Boris Johnson to unveil new ‘energy supply strategy’ that hints at fossil fuel uptake
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that he will launch a new "energy supply strategy" in the coming days that hints at using more UK-derived fossil fuels in the short term to reduce reliance on Russian gas.
1 March 2022 - Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said the sanctions on Russia
Implications for Ukraine - Nord Stream 2 has implications for Ukraine. Although not a huge importer of Russian gas, Ukraine is a major transit country of current Russian gas pipelines into Europe. Transit fees are thought to account for almost 3% of Ukraine’s GDP, which will bring an expected revenue of $2-3 billion annually over the next five years.
1st March 2022 - "Changes ahead for Navy diving teams in biggest shake-up in 25 years"
"For my unit this transformation means we can focus our attention on becoming experts in the field of maritime exploitation of conventional and improvised explosive devises and munitions – a capability that doesn’t exist anywhere else across UK defence."
The Diving & Threat Exploitation Group continues to evolve and move with the times.
"We recognise and embrace modern, innovative technology such as autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles (known as AUVs and ROVs) to deliver operations and enhance training."
2 March 2022 - Royal Navy divers create elite mission teams to meet evolving needs
According to a Royal Navy statement, the restructuring represents the biggest shake-up since 1996. The divers, who were a part of the Fleet Diving Squadron, will now operate under the name of Diving & Threat Exploitation Group (DTXG). The Royal Navy Divers are based in Portsmouth, Plymouth and Faslane.
[See details of Faslane/Clyde naval base here, note it consists of Chalfont training facilities]
The latest changes will enable the personnel to carry out additional missions as well as continue training activities with Nato and other allies.Diving & Threat Exploitation Group commanding officer Commander Sean Heaton said: “This once-in-a-generation transformation has enabled the Royal Navy’s Clearance Divers to be the most agile, lethal and technically advanced they have ever been.“Capable of locating, exploiting, and disposing of threats to the Royal Navy and the UK’s interests, all while remaining ready to conduct emergency underwater maintenance to our ships and submarines.”Echo Squadron (DTXG’s explosive exploitation experts) Lieutenant Commander Tom Forbes said: “For my unit this transformation means we can focus our attention on becoming experts in the field of maritime exploitation of conventional and improvised explosive devises and munitions, a capability that doesn’t exist anywhere else across UK defence.
Last month, Royal Navy’s fifth Astute-class nuclear submarine, Anson, conducted its initial trim dive.
[M: Note this my other post about the team which may have been involved. Note structural and personal changes within the team. Could this be advance preparations already?]
He told reporters that he would set out an energy supply strategy in the coming days.
‘There are going to be impacts but I think it is the right thing to do. It is completely the right thing to do to move away from Russian hydrocarbons but we have to do it step by by step.
‘We have got to make sure we have substitute supply. One of the things we are looking at is the possibility of using more of our own hydrocarbons. ‘That doesn’t mean we are in any way abandoning our commitment to reducing CO2 but we have got to reflect the reality that there is a crunch on at the moment. We need to increase our self-reliance.
[M: The UK is the only country which wants total closure of Russian oil and gas.]
[M: Is this it? Could this news mean that the Decision to take down Nordstream has been done?]
Today’s announcement follow’s Shell’s decision last week that it intends to end its involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project and exit its equity partnerships with Gazprom and related entities, including its 27.5 percent stake in the Sakhalin-II liquefied natural gas facility, its 50 percent stake in the Salym Petroleum Development and the Gydan energy venture.
9 March 2022 - Diplomatically, politically, economically – and eventually, militarily
...Putin must fail in his invasion of Ukraine. The world is united in condemning the invasion and taking action.
9 March 2022 - Statement on the phasing out of Russian oil imports
Statement by Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on the phasing out of Russian oil imports.
Measure detail
But we want to go further, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Yesterday I set out that the UK is phasing out imports of Russian oil during the course of the year.
This transition will give the market, it will give businesses and supply chains more than enough time to substitute Russian imports.
The following three pages summarise the latest data on UK imports of gas, oil and coal from Russia. The final page looks at how much European countries relied on Russian energy in the decade to 2020
[M: So UK gov studied deeply reliance of its state and other EU states on RU energy.]
Talks will cover "increasing defensive military support to Ukraine" and the issue of "long-term energy security", it said, while the Prime Minister will urge the coalition to work towards "greater resilience against hostile state threats".
The Prime Minister said resilience to Mr Putin's threats must "go beyond our military footing".
"Together… we must ensure we are insulated from Russia's interference and impact on our energy supplies, economy and values," he added.
We commit to an enhanced programme of integrated JEF exercises and activities at sea, on land and in the air in the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea region. These activities, already being developed, demonstrate our solidarity, capability and resolve. We will work in complementarity to NATO and the EU to ensure that Russia cannot continue to threaten European security, including through recalibrating our approach to Russia, reducing our reliance on Russian hydrocarbons, taking part in forward defence in conjunction with our Allies, reinforcing our cooperation within and beyond the JEF, and playing an active part in restoring a safer and more peaceful world.
16 March 2022 - What is the Joint Expeditionary Force?
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) says the UK is "proud to be at the centre of JEF", acting as the alliance's "framework" nation.
This involved "military formations within NATO, between like-minded partners that could co-operate together on military capabilities and military operations", he said.
"The Joint Expeditionary Force is the framework led by the UK."
The JEF "can act outside of the NATO framework", explained Mr Monaghan, so nations outside of NATO such as Sweden "presumably" are able to call on other JEF members to fulfill security commitments – separate to the formal obligations in other alliances.
Has the Joint Expeditionary Force deployed on operations?
In March last year, three members of JEF joined the UK to conduct maritime patrols in the Baltic Sea.
HMS Lancaster and HMS Westminster were joined by RFA Tiderace and vessels from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia for a joint demonstration of the participant nations' commitment to the security and stability of the region.
It marked the first operational deployment for JEF and included intensive training with helicopters, refuelling at sea, gunnery and air defence, sailing in close formation and acclimatising to sub-zero temperatures as JEF ships operated deep in the Baltic.
16 March 2022 - Prime Minister @BorisJohnson met
...with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. They agreed to collaborate to maintain stability in the energy market and continue the transition to clean technology. They also committed to boost cooperation in defence and trade.
... the Crown Prince of the UAE @MohamedBinZayed. They welcomed the longstanding partnership between our two countries and discussed opportunities to increase collaboration on energy security, defence and trade.
16 March 2022 - Prime Minister @BorisJohnson on why it’s vital that we invest in renewable energy and end the West’s reliance on Putin’s oil and gas.
see video news here
19 March 2022 - Boris Johnson tells The Economist about his anti-Russia coalition
The British-led Joint Expeditionary Force is moving quickly against Russia
On the night of March 14th, while Russian forces were pounding Ukrainian cities, six leaders and other representatives of the Joint Expeditionary Force (jef), a British-led coalition of ten northern European countries, gathered for the first time at Chequers, the country house of Britain’s prime minister. They put their phones away for security, sat down to dinner and set to work. “We agreed that Putin must not succeed in this venture,” Boris Johnson told The Economist the next day.JEF largely unknown outside defence circles, was established a decade ago as a high-readiness force focused on the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea regions (see map for its members). Unlike NATO, it does not need internal consensus to deploy troops in a crisis: Britain, the “framework” nation, could launch operations with one or more partners. As one British officer puts it: “The JEF can act while NATO is thinking.”
They agreed to “co-ordinate, supply and fund” more arms and other equipment requested by Ukraine. And they declared that jef, through exercises and “forward defence”, would seek to deter further Russian aggression—including provocations outside Ukraine that might stymie nato or fall under its threshold.
21 March 2022 - Today the Prime Minister met nuclear industry leaders today to..
... discuss how to improve domestic energy security and accelerate nuclear projects in the UK.
[M: A necessary step regardless but also needy would one want to prepare for the Nordstream mission]
24 March 2022 - WARNING: As Russian troops were positioned...
...on Ukraine’s border, the UK and its @NATO Allies and partners warned that any incursion would be a strategic mistake with massive consequences. We made plans to impose severe costs on Russia should it invade.
Today @BorisJohnson and I are at the @NATO Summit to discuss further steps to reassure Allies and deter any threats to NATO after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
24 March 2022 - Spoke to @WBHoekstra
...about further coordinated sanctions against Putin and those who support him. The Netherlands and UK will continue to firmly and swiftly impose crippling economic measures on Russia’s war machine.
25 March 2022 - The Prime Minister met with President of the EU Commission
... @vonderleyen . They committed to strengthen economic sanctions on Putin’s regime and continue working together to diversify energy sources – moving away from reliance on Russian hydrocarbons.
19 March 2022 - Boris Johnson tells The Economist about his anti-Russia coalition
The British-led Joint Expeditionary Force is moving quickly against Russia
On the night of March 14th, while Russian forces were pounding Ukrainian cities, six leaders and other representatives of the Joint Expeditionary Force (jef), a British-led coalition of ten northern European countries, gathered for the first time at Chequers, the country house of Britain’s prime minister. They put their phones away for security, sat down to dinner and set to work. “We agreed that Putin must not succeed in this venture,” Boris Johnson told The Economist the next day.JEF largely unknown outside defence circles, was established a decade ago as a high-readiness force focused on the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea regions (see map for its members). Unlike NATO, it does not need internal consensus to deploy troops in a crisis: Britain, the “framework” nation, could launch operations with one or more partners. As one British officer puts it: “The JEF can act while NATO is thinking.”
They agreed to “co-ordinate, supply and fund” more arms and other equipment requested by Ukraine. And they declared that jef, through exercises and “forward defence”, would seek to deter further Russian aggression—including provocations outside Ukraine that might stymie nato or fall under its threshold.
For the past month, the HMS Ambush has largely operated in Norwegian waters, the British Navy writes.
[M: HMS S120 Ambush is my primary suspect - either directly, or delivering one of the three MK11 minisub UK received recently]
During Cold Response 2022, the HMS Ambush and five other British marine vessels practiced operating in cold, Arctic waters in Northern Norway, according to the British MoD.
[M: Speculating that Ambush was also training coordinated submerged navigation through fjords between other UK ships. My claim is that UK sub passed submerged through DK straights. That is very risky as straights are shallow, full of traffic and it is forbidden. Which 5 vessels were in NOR and which went later to Baltops? Match?]
British Defense Minister Ben Wallace (Conservatives) visited Bardufoss, Norway during the exercise and there presented a new British defense strategy for the Arctic region.
[M: The article states that units were training escape on inflatable boats. Could this be the preparation to NS already? Were they from SBS team? Look what happened after the NS sabotage on 3 Nov 2022]
After the exercise, the HMS Ambush appears to have continued its winter training in the North, just like forces from the US Marine Corps.The American amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge was docked at Grøtsund during Easter. This is allegedly the largest warship ever to have docked in Tromsø.
[M: Remember this USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) - it will play later important role. It may be that these two will meet again in Baltic sea.]
30 March 2022 - Johnson says the JEF is playing an increasingly March important role in countering Russian aggression.
1 April 2022 - We agreed that pressure on Russia must continue and we will work to eliminate dependency on Russian energy.
5 April 2022 - Spoke to Italian Foreign Minister @luigidimaio
...about tackling the income that is funding Putin’s regime. We need to step up our coordinated sanctions to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
6 April 2022 - We're going further to cripple Putin’s war machine.
Today I have announced our toughest sanctions yet - targeting Russia's energy industry, as well as hitting more banks, businesses and oligarchs who are financing Russia's abhorrent crimes in Ukraine.
7 April 2022 - Russia has brought barbarity and devastation to Ukraine.
I told @HouseofCommons that the UK must do everything we can to ensure Putin loses.
7 April 2022 - UK updates its energy security strategy
It is crucial we work with international partners to maintain stable energy markets and prices. This will help protect UK consumers and reduce the use of fossil fuels globally. Similar to our domestic strategy, we have a dual approach to reduce global reliance on Russian fossil fuels whilst pivoting towards clean, affordable energy. To reduce global reliance on Russian fossil fuels, the UK is:
- committing to phase out the use of Russian oil and coal by the end of 2022, and end imports of Russian liquefied natural gas as soon as possible thereafter. The US has made similar commitments
- building international support to reduce Russian energy revenues. Internationally coordinated action, for example, through the G7 and International Energy Agency is key to support stable markets and to help secure the critical minerals we all need to successfully move to clean energy
- providing a key EU entry point for non-Russian supplies of gas. We are examining our infrastructure to ensure gas flows efficiently between the UK, Europe and the global market through our interconnectors and LNG terminals and promote gas infrastructure to be hydrogen-ready
Oil and gas
- Low carbon UK gas, and zero Russian imports.
...to Downing Street today to discuss how we can accelerate support for Ukraine, toughen sanctions and help European countries wean themselves off Russian energy.
How important is Russian supply, and which countries could replace it?
Russia is the second largest producer of oil in the world, behind the US. Russian imports account for 8% of total UK oil demand. Two countries—the UAE and Saudi Arabia—are arguably best able to ramp up spare production capacity quickly. This is where recent UK diplomacy has focused.
UK visits UAE and Saudi Arabia, March 2022
On 16 March 2022, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE to discuss energy security, including potential measures to diversify the UK’s energy supply. He also raised human rights concerns with Saudi Arabia.
The visit did not result in pledges from the two countries to increase their production. However, both the UAE and Saudi Arabia committed to improving stability in the global energy markets and to advance green technology and trade with the UK.
15 April 2022 - The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF)
Admiral Sir Antony David Radakin, KCB, ADC, Chief of the Defence Staff
JEF recognises that the character of warfare has evolved, and the distinction between peace and war is not as clear as it once was.
The grey area this creates has allowed our adversaries to develop new ways of threatening us, and we recognise the need to counter this by protecting, engaging and constraining the threat.
We therefore see advantage in the JEF being able to take collective action below the traditional threshold of conflict, if necessary, before NATO declares Article V, in a complementary capacity to NATO.
26 April 2022 - Liz Truss is ready to try and beat global aggressors at their own game
[M: This is highly interesting news, in light of future NS destruction, the hit on NS and consolidation of EU foreign policy, etc, it all looks like part of strategy]
"The Foreign Secretary believes there needs to be a much greater economic underpinning to foreign policy
When Liz Truss addresses diplomats this evening with the annual Mansion House speech, it will be the first time since her appointment as Foreign Secretary that she has set out her plan to reconfigure the UK’s foreign policy.Since Truss’s promotion to the great office of state in the autumn reshuffle, she has seen a wider geopolitical shift than many foreign secretaries have encountered in the bulk of their tenure.Berlin has cancelled the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and increased its defence spending – rewriting 30 years of German foreign policy which has been underpinned by a belief in change through trade.
[M: It was not cancelled at this point, just legal issues but the project continued]
On the UK side, much of what has happened confirmed the Government assessment on the threats the West faces. The 2021 integrated review (into foreign, security and defence policy) correctly identified Russia as the greatest threat – while naming China as “a systemic challenge”.Yet with events moving as quickly as they are, the view in the Foreign Office is that the UK must now go further still. Key to this is to fix what has long been a weak flank of UK foreign policy: moving to strengthen economic ties – both with long-standing allies and those countries the UK wishes to bring into its orbit.While the West has rallied in the wake of war in Ukraine, the fact that Russia invaded in the first place was a failure of deterrence. The view of the Foreign Secretary is that in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes, a new approach is required – one in which there needs to be a much greater economic underpinning to foreign policy.
[M: Is the destruction of EU-Russia economic ties an objective?]
Part of the reason Russian strength got to the point it did was that the world let its guard down – both in terms of defence spending and economic ties. In that period, other governments viewed as aggressors have expanded their reach – just look at how the Chinese government has expanded its influence in the Indo-Pacific through economic ties.Now the UK wants to beat these aggressors at their own game. It’s not just about boosting defence spending – something Truss has previously suggested would be necessary – though the Chancellor Rishi Sunak may want to look away when she gets up to speak on Wednesday.Instead, it’s engaging with other countries. “Liz wants the free world to use economics as a hard-edged tool of security and foreign policy because we’ve neglected it since the Cold War and aggressors have been bolder,” says an ally of the Foreign Secretary. “She wants to use economics to constrain rivals and also build closer trade and investment links with a wider group of countries.”Another supporter of Truss puts it this way: “We need an economic Nato.”This shift can also be summarised as a “carrot and stick” approach. The stick can be seen in the power of the sanctions levied against Russia by the G7 and its allies. The economic damage they are inflicting is leading to pain for Putin and his people. They could go further still – with a ban on imports of oil and gas; hydrocarbons make up a third of the Russian economy.As for the carrot, during the Cold War the US did two things – establish Nato and then a general agreement on tariffs and trade. This time around a wider reach would be required – taking into account those countries in the Indo-Pacific who see what’s happening in Ukraine and worry for their own security."
5 May 2022 - A strange message to Boris Johnson and V. Zelenski appeared o Twitter.
[M: There isn´t much about that person, from UK. Does this mean something? Why?]
Russian imports supplied only 2.2% of energy used in the UK in 2021..
To account for future changes to gas and oil supply and secure more domestic resources, the Government plans to further utilise North Sea reserves alongside commissioning a scientific review of shale gas extraction.
The Institute for Government (IfG) said the security of the UK’s physical supply will “likely hold up” following possible Russian gas export disruptions to the EU, even without measures from the strategy, due to diversity of supply.
A decade ago, Germany built the first Nord Stream pipeline to solve their energy needs. They bet on Russian gas to fire Berlin's boilers and Munich's power plants.It was a deal with the devil and now the price has become clear.Vladimir Putin's hand on the gas tap is extracting influence across Europe as he murders thousands in Ukraine.
How EU dependency on Russian energy affects the UKThe UK is far less reliant on Russian gas than the EU, but security of EU gas supply matters to the UK because:
- it affects the prices of UK gas and electricity;
- it could affect the UK’s own security of supply if gas imports into the UK were re-directed to the EU;
- energy exports are economically important to Russia and changes may therefore affect geopolitical relations.
UK-EU cooperation
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has stimulated UK and EU cooperation on the security of energy supply.
At the 30 March 2022 meeting of the UK-EU Specialised Committee on Energy, the UK and EU agreed to facilitate regular exchanges on the security of supply (PDF). They specifically discussed establishing a Working Group on Security of Supply as a matter of priority.
This is because there is insufficient LNG import capacity within the EU, but spare capacity in the UK as well as capacity on the pipelines from the UK to mainland Europe.
[M: Looks like a strengthening of the possible motive after Brexit. Planning of getting paid as EU does not have enough LNG import facilities?]
Russia has no hope of starting up its undersea gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 anytime soon, but is confident that Europe will need the pipeline some day regardless of what it says now, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
[M: Kin of excludes the self-sabotage claim.]
24 May 2022 - UK considers action against Russia’s Nord Stream 2 over Belarus landing Ryanair plane
A leading British parliamentarian has called for blocking Nord Stream 2 and the gas pipeline already running through Belarus, in response to the arrest of a Western-backed regime-change advocate on a plane stopped in Minsk.
Tom Tugendhat, a Tory MP and chair of the foreign affairs committee in Westminster, said that the “Yamato” (sic) energy pipeline “must be frozen” in response to the arrest of Roman Protasevich in Minsk over the weekend. The most likely autocorrected name was a reference to the Yamal-Europe pipeline, which supplies Germany and Austria with natural gas from Russia, via Belarus and Poland.
UK considers action against Russia’s Nord Stream 2 over Belarus landing Ryanair plane
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Tugendhat’s fellow Tory, responded that the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson will “consider and consult” with partners on the question of Nord Stream 2.
26 May 2022 - The secret planning that kept the White House a step ahead of Russia
Germany was a reluctant but essential ally, and the Biden administration made a controversial decision last summer that was probably crucial in gaining German support against Russia. Biden gave Germany a pass on an initial round of sanctions against a company building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in exchange for a pledge from Chancellor Angela Merkel that if Russia invaded, Nord Stream 2 would be scrapped. When the invasion came, Merkel was gone but her successor, Olaf Scholz, kept the promise.
[M: The USA made a deal which Germany kept. USA had no reason to blow NS2 afterwards.]
27 May 2022 - Johnson proposes alternative union with Ukraine, may include Baltic states
This alliance could include, in addition to the UK and Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and possibly later Turkey.
30 May 2022 - Energy crisis: UK to become MAJOR exporter to EU with huge wind and solar boom
BRITAIN could soon find a way out of the energy crisis, as a new report suggests that the UK could receive a massive supply of green electricity.
June 2022 - The C.I.A. had warned European governments of potential attacks on pipelines.
The warning was not specific, the officials said, and they declined to say whether Russia was identified as a possible attacker.The C.I.A. issued a vague warning in June to a number of European nations, including Germany, that the two Nord Stream gas pipelines that carry natural gas from Russia could be targeted in forthcoming attacks, three senior officials familiar with the intelligence said on Tuesday.The German publication Der Spiegel was the first to report that the U.S. had provided what intelligence officials call “strategic warning” of a possible attack — a warning that came with no specifics about the likely time or place or manner of a potential strike.
[M: The CIA provided strategic waning to Nordstream shareholders that their both NS1 and NS2 could be targets and they did not took any counter-measures, political or else?]
6 June 2022 - Joint leaders statement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Rt Hon Boris Johnson and the Prime Minister of Estonia, Mrs Kaja Kallas
...We agree on the need to end dependence on Russian hydrocarbons as rapidly as possible and will work together to accelerate the development of alternatives...
[M: What is this about? Normal flyover? Was there something to see? Is this connected to the message that US warned Germany and other allies about the NS vulnerability and possible attack? Did this happen before or after the CIA warning?]
11 June 2022 - Russia shuts down Nord Stream for repairs, 10 d, starting 11th.
Russia has reduced Nord Stream gas exports to Europe as the pipeline enters a scheduled 10-day maintenance period.
[M: Was the part of the scheduled maintenance physical observation? Inspection on NS web. It is Internal/External check-ups. Compare to Baltops exercise dates.]
13 June 2022 - Nordstream yearly check-up
14 June 2022 - BALTOPS 22: A Perfect Opportunity for Research and Resting New Technology
Experimentation was conducted off the coast of Bornholm, Denmark, with participants from Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport, and Mine Warfare Readiness and Effectiveness Measuring all under the direction of U.S. 6th Fleet Task Force 68.
[M: This is a yearly exercise - see wiki on BATOPS, see which sips were there here on latest exercise, 7 UK ships, I originally thought the sub got through DK straights along this exercise, e.g. undetected between other navy ships. Note the many UK participants boats, 7/14. Note that there was another exercise in NOR where the sub Ambush was also present]
15 June 2022 - Joint statement by Joint Expeditionary Force Defence Ministers
JEF Defence Ministers also took part in a table-top exercise to practise the JEF’s role in responding to an escalating crisis, including the relationship between the JEF and NATO in such a scenario.
15 June 2022 - Royal Navy divers from Portsmouth undertake ‘importance’ explosives clearance using state-of-the-art drones in Lithuania
Delta Diving Unit from the Diving & Threat Exploitation Group (DTXG) based on Horsea Island in Portsmouth, practised identifying – and neutralising – a range of explosive devices in the water and ashore across Lithuania.
Robots and autonomous vessels were also tested to aid with operations, including the use of Remus – a torpedo-shaped submersible which can survey and map possible ordnance.
June 15 2022 - Experimentation on new types of unmanned underwater vehicles were also tested off the coast of Bornholm Island, Denmark during the exercise.
This week, ministers from the JEF states met in Norway to practice how to interact in a crisis situation. “We must be fully ready to act swiftly in case of a crisis or threat against our countries”, says the Danish Minister of Defense.
“The JEF defense ministers discussed present security challenges, including the implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and assessed the future development of the JEF to ensure its continuing to provide an efficient contribution to security and stability in its core region consisting of the High North, the North Atlantic, and the Baltic Sea”, the defense ministers say in a joint statement after their meeting.For Norway, the JEF supplements other cooperation formats such as NATO in an early, yet tense situation to get an overview and be able to de-escalate a potentially dangerous development, according to the Armed Forces.
Minister-level training
Last winter and spring, a series of multinational military exercises have taken place in the Nordics, while training about political and military crisis management for defense ministers and lead defense representatives is hardly ever mentioned.
“We must be fully ready to react swiftly and efficiently in case of a crisis or threats against our countries. It is important that we constantly work together with our allied and close partners to strengthen our cooperation, not least in the current security policy situation”, Danish Defense Minister Morten Bødskov (S) says in a press statement.
The goal of the exercise was to practice the rapid reaction force’s handling of an escalating crisis, and that in a way that support NATO’s role.
“We are in the middle of a critical time for European and international security and the coming together and discussing issues of mutual interest, as well as demonstrating unity, is essential” says Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Center Party) in a press statement.
“Both the meeting and the exercise has shown that our countries are capable and willing to work together to face joint security threats and challenges in our region”, Gram adds.
17 June 2022 - UK PM makes second trip to Kyiv — as it happened
17 June 2022 - Russian warship violated Danish territorial waters in Baltic Sea
A Russian warship twice violated Danish territorial waters in the Baltic Sea as senior politicians gathered close by for a democracy festival on Friday.
The incidents took place as the annual festival attended by senior legislators and businesspeople was under way on a nearby island.
The Russian warship entered Danish waters without authorisation at 2:30am (00:30 GMT) and again a few of hours later, the armed forces said in a statement. After a radio message from the Danish navy, the ship immediately left the area.The island of Christianso is located 300km (190 miles) from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.13
[M: It is possible that Russia has undersea sensors monitoring what happens around the Nordstream but it may not have them in the Danish Territorial Zone, a blind spot in defence]
4 July 2022 - Truss: UK supports idea of confiscating Russian assets and transferring them to Ukraine.
21 July 2022 - First UK-Germany power link gets financial green light
A financial agreement was reached on Thursday to build the first power cable linking Britain and Germany, with construction set to begin later this year as the two countries work to reduce dependency on Russian gas and increase the use of green energy.
24 July 2022 - UK's Liz Truss Asserts Putin 'holding Rest Of The World To Ransom Over Gas Prices'
...days after donning camo to hang out with soldiers - as PM's allies press for him to be allowed to STAY on in No10 and minister says he would be 'comfortable if he returned to Government
Mr Johnson's spokesman would not say if he was visiting the Special Boat Service (SBS), based in Poole, or the Hereford Based Special Air Service (SAS)- whose motto is 'who dares wins'.
26 July 2022 - Celebrated head of the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service retires
Commodore Jim Perks handed over command to Commodore Paul Dunn in a ceremony at the home of the Silent Service at Clyde Naval Base in Scotland... It marked the end of a 38-year naval career, which saw Cdre Perks climb the ranks from junior rating to the Officer Corps before going onto command the Submarine Flotilla in 2016 and eventually becoming head of the service in January 2020... He has also spent time on shore as Assistant Staff Officer Operations at Clyde, with Fleet Operational Sea (Submarines), with the Maritime Warfare Centre as head of underwater warfare pillar, and with the operations team of the Naval Staff within the MOD... His most recent post was as Head of Nuclear Planning in the Director General Nuclear Organisation.... In 1995 Commodore Perks completed the Submarine Advanced Warfare Course and re-joined Spartan as the Operations Officer. It was just one year later that he was made an instructor on the Submarine Advanced Warfare Course.
[M: Only a nuclear power with deterrence could be shielded against Russian response.]
27 June 2022 - Indispensable: NATO’s Framework Nations Concept beyond Madrid
The JEF is an example of NATO’s Framework Nations Concept (FNC), established at the Wales Summit in 2014 to encourage multinational groups within the alliance to develop deployable capabilities, led by a “framework nation.”
The United Kingdom’s intent to form the JEF was originally declared in a 2012 speech by then chief of the defense staff, General Sir David Richards: “The JEF will be of variable size; a framework into which others fit.” It was conceived and “designed to meet our NATO obligations,” based on the experience of Libya, where “Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were able to play a vital role by bringing their regional expertise into the command structure of a NATO operation.”
Leadership of the JEF was cemented as a UK priority in its 2015 defense review as part of the United Kingdom’s policy of becoming “international by design.”
On June 28, 2018, a new MOU formally declared the JEF able to “deploy over 10,000 personnel from across the nine nations.” Iceland joined in 2021, after which the 10 JEF nations issued a new policy directive “designed to provide the overarching policy framework within which the JEF can evolve as a concept and operate as a force, across a broad spectrum of operational activity.”
NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ) Special Operations Component Command was declared fully operational at the 2014 Wales summit
28 July 2022 - The Integrated Review, Defence in a Competitive Age and the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy
The MoD argues that the Integrated Review identified Russia as a threat and that the conclusions drawn have been reviewed but seem to be enduring. However, we have concerns that the MOD have not managed to assuage.
In oral evidence in June 2021, the Secretary of State set out what he perceived to be the most significant threats: Russia, China, terrorism and Iran. In November 2021, the National Security Adviser also highlighted the threats posed by Russia, China and terrorism as significant, and added CBRN proliferation and the development of advanced military weaponry to that list.
The Government has also pointed to the description in the Integrated Review documents of Russia as “the greatest nuclear, conventional military and sub-threshold threat to European security” (25 HL Deb,7 April 2022, col 2184)
29 July 2022 - Families must look at how to cut energy use this winter, says Ben Wallace
2 Aug 2022 - Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Portsmouth Naval Base to see Royal Navy’s state-of-the-art mine clearing team in action. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has visited the Diving & Threat Exploitation Group (DTXG) at the Defence Diving School, Horsea Island
5 Aug 2022 - Liz Truss visits Portsmouth at Queens Hotel, Southsea on Friday 5th August 2022.
NORWAY, a major energy supplier for Britain, is facing growing pressure to cut off gas and electricity exports to the rest of the world.Norway is responsible for over 60 percent of the total gas demand, being the single biggest supplier of gas to the UK.Given that most interconnectors are in the south of Norway, both ends of the country face extreme disparities when it comes to energy prices. While electricity in northern households can cost €2 per megawatt (£1.69), families in the southwest of the country can pay a staggering €550 per megawatt (£464).This has led to Olso’s government facing pressure from campaigners, calling on Norway to cut itself off from Europe.The cost of gas and electricity in the UK is at an eye-watering level, despite the fact that Britain imports very little energy from Russia. This is because both the UK and its major gas supplier Norway, are part of the open market, meaning that prices in the rest of Europe affect the UK. Britain is connected to Norway via a 450-mile interconnector that joins Blyth, Northumberland to Kvilldal power station through cables that run through the North Sea.
8 August 2022 - Energy companies urge UK to detoxify gas exports to EU
Businesses say ‘hazardous’ contaminants could force shutdown of subsea pipelines as supply crisis intensifies
Energy companies have urged the UK to take “urgent” action over the amount of “toxic” and “hazardous” contaminants in the gas it is processing for export to the EU.
They warned the problem could force critical subsea pipelines to be shut down this winter as mainland Europe struggles to replace the gas it usually buys from Russia.
To help these efforts, the UK has been processing large volumes of liquefied natural gas arriving at its ports from countries including the US and Qatar. This is then moved through Britain’s energy system before it is exported via subsea pipelines from Bacton in Norfolk to Belgium and the Netherlands.
But several energy companies warned that in recent months gas delivered to UK terminals has persistently been “contaminated” with high levels of materials that are often “radioactive” and can burn when they come into contact with the air.
Britain has been maximising exports to the EU this summer because in winter it relies on gas flowing back from mainland Europe, which has superior storage facilities, to meet demand at peak times.
National Grid has argued that if EU storage facilities are not filled enough this summer, pressure to continue sending gas from Britain will be “increased and sustained” during the winter. This could affect the UK’s security of supply.
19 Aug 2022 - FDP lawmaker slammed for Nord Stream 2 comments
Wolfgang Kubicki of the FDP faced criticism from his own party and the government after proposing the opening of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia. He said there was "no sensible reason" to keep the pipeline closed.
24 August 2022 - ‘Ukraine can and will win this war,’ says Boris Johnson as he visits Kyiv on Ukraine’s Independence Day
24 August 2022 - Ukraine is a war zone. And a place Boris Johnson can get away from it all.
So Boris Johnson popped up in Ukraine on Wednesday.
In comments made next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Mariyinsky Palace, Johnson said Ukraine “can and will win this war.” Russian President Vladimir Putin had been “insane” to invade, he said, and added: “If we’re paying in our energy bills for the evils of Vladimir Putin, the people of Ukraine are paying in their blood.”
A street on the outskirts of Odessa was relabeled “Boris Johnson Street.”
Ukraine will be a major part of Johnson’s legacy.
24 August 2022 - The foreign secretary, Liz Truss, says that she is not afraid to use nuclear weapons if she becomes prime minister.
24 August 2022 - Britons must endure ‘short-term pain’ of energy bills so Putin is defeated, minister warns
Armed forces minister James Heappey admitted that a ‘really expensive winter lies ahead’ for many UK families
Millions of households in Britain must be ready for the “short-term pain” of high energy bills so Vladimir Putin is defeated in Ukraine and future threats from Russia and China are defused, a minister warned on Wednesday.
Armed forces minister James Heappey admitted that a “really expensive winter lies ahead” for many families in the UK and stressed the new Prime Minister’s “first priority” would be a bigger support package.
25 August 2022 - Liz Truss Says 'The Jury Is Out' On Whether Emmanuel Macron Is 'Friend Or Foe'
The favourite to be Britain's next prime minister – and current foreign secretary – risks damaging relations with French president.Liz Truss, the favourite to be Britain’s next prime minister, has said the “jury’s out” on whether French president Emmanuel Macron is “friend or foe” to the UK.
The foreign secretary added that if she was to succeed Boris Johnson she would judge him on “deeds not words”.
It’s unclear precisely why Truss has taken umbrage at the leader of one of the UK’s closet allies, a fellow member of Nato and a vital trading partner.
[M: In the light of the approaching NS affair, COULD this mean UK was trying to test FRA reaction to possibility of "cancelling pipelines" entirely? UK giving FRA a choice?]
26 August 2022 - ‘Serious problem’ if France and UK can’t tell if they’re friends or enemies, says Macron
This article is more than 6 months old
French president responds to ‘jury’s out’ comments by Tory leadership favourite Liz Truss about key ally
28 August 2022 - PM Boris Johnson: The next few months will be tough but I’m convinced Britain’s bounceback will be golden
We are ending our dependency on Russian hydrocarbons. In June, for the first time in decades, we did not import any fuel from Russia. The UK has already stepped up production of domestic gas – 26 per cent more this year than last. We are going to build a new reactor every year and will have a colossal 50 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 – almost half our total electricity consumption. This British Energy Security Strategy is just a part of a vast programme to make the economy more productive and competitive.
29 Aug 2022 - Russia Flaring Around 4.34 mcmd Of Gas Normally Bound For Nord Stream 1
Rystad Energy, an independent energy research and business intelligence company headquartered in Oslo, Norway made this determination according to analysis of heat levels and satellite data.
30 August 2022 - Jacob Rees-Mogg meets energy giants in bid to boost North Sea oil and gas supplies
City A.M. understands the Brexit Opportunities Minister and Liz Truss-backer held talks with energy giants including Shell over recent days, ahead of a desperate winter which will see energy bills spike to new records – driven by fears of supply shortages.
He is also looking to seal deals with companies operating in the waters of friendly allies such as Norway.There is confusion over whether Rees-Mogg met oil and gas companies in his role as a Minister or as a supporter of Truss – with multiple Government departments refusing to comment.
Truss’ senior team has claimed the meetings were set up by civil servants, and was not linked to her campaign.
(Jacob Rees-Mogg - Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in office 6 September 2022 – 25 October 2022).
The USS Georgia, equipped with an underwater launch system for special forces, arrived at Faslane naval base in Scotland for its second visit in two months.
The U.S. Navy said that this port visit to Faslane reflects the United States’ “commitment to our allies and partners in the region and complements the many exercises, training, operations, and other military cooperation activities conducted by Strategic Forces to ensure they are available and ready to safely and effectively operate around the globe at any time”.What is the bump on the back?It’s a drydock for the ‘SEAL Delivery Vehicle’. The SDV is a manned submersible and a type of swimmer delivery vehicle used to deliver United States Navy SEALs and their equipment for special operations missions. It is also operated by the Royal Navy’s Special Boat Service, which operates three SDVs from Astute-class submarines.
[M: Comment - The USS Georgia was operating near the Faroe Islands as late as August 25th.]
[M: Another report states that this sub returned to its base on 22-09-2022 - here]
[M: If the US was considering this a secret mission, would they not asked UK kindly for removal of all similar news? Note there were also several NATO trainings, perhaps just delivering? Suspect?]
BoJo said on 31st August 2022: "From the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea, our submarine service is protecting the UK and our allies 24 hours a day, seven days a week"
[M: It does look like Boris Johnson states that UK submarines are operating in Baltic Sea. There are no news about it, so the only way could be through secret operations, e.g. frogmen ops.]
City A.M. understands the Brexit Opportunities Minister and Liz Truss-backer held talks with energy giants including Shell over recent days, ahead of a desperate winter which will see energy bills spike to new records – driven by fears of supply shortages.
He is also looking to seal deals with companies operating in the waters of friendly allies such as Norway.There is confusion over whether Rees-Mogg met oil and gas companies in his role as a Minister or as a supporter of Truss – with multiple Government departments refusing to comment.
Truss’ senior team has claimed the meetings were set up by civil servants, and was not linked to her campaign.
(Jacob Rees-Mogg - Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in office 6 September 2022 – 25 October 2022).
[M: Would I want to reduce world´s gas supply in a serious manner, I would make preemptive step and secure own production and capabilities/capacity for allies. If Liz Truss/Boris Johnson & team were planning the actin then this could be seen as a step toward the future NS affair. Or is it just coincidence of winter energy shortages fears?]
1,2,3 Sept 2022 - US Military Helicopters Circled Around Future Nord Stream Leaks For Hours In September
In particular, at the beginning of the month, a US Navy Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopter loitered over the location of pipelines in the Baltic Sea near Bornholm for three days in a row on September 1, 2 and 3.
(helicopters are better than planes due to lower speed for anti-sub warfare)
[M: The post of the blogger is interesting. But it does not make sense to blow cover. Another better explanation offers itself. US was conducting anti-submarine mission which has not been a drill.]
It is curious that on September 2, almost in parallel with the US military, a military helicopter NH90 of the Dutch Navy was flying in the vicinity of Bornholm Island, probably observing the activities of the Americans....
US helicopters, according to Flightradar24, also flew over the branches of Russian gas pipelines on September 10 and September 19.
In all cases, the trajectories of the US military speak of observation flights or loitering with other targets over a specific section of the water area. Helicopters that made sorties on the night of September 22-23 and 25-26 have especially confusing tracks.
[M: Perhaps there was a UK submarine in the vicinity and US Navy from Kaersarge was tracking its movements. This kind of excludes that it was a secret approved NATO operation, looks more like UK went rogue and USA has been on it, knew, monitored yet has not stopped it or did not understand intentions of the submarine - speculating on another post with How it maybe went - so far sequence is in few posts on twitter. Btw, the path looks like the helicopter dropped sonarbuoys, then cycles to transmit its data to Kaersarge].
flew either along the route of Nord Stream-2 or generally between the points where the accident occurred.
3 Sept 2022 - Zelensky exclusive: Threat from ‘Putin the Nazi’ outweighs pain of rising energy bills
The Ukrainian leader praises Boris Johnson, criticises Macron and Scholz and says western cost of living fears are ‘incomparable’ with the threat from Russia.
Volodymyr Zelensky refuses to talk about Boris Johnson in the past tense.
Under Johnson, Britain was one of the first nations to donate weapons to Ukraine as the countdown to the Russian invasion began last winter. While nervous European leaders dawdled, Johnson led the pack..
4 Sept 2022 - Zelenskiy Tells Europe To Prepare For Difficult Winter With Oil, Gas Supply Cuts
4 Sept 2022 - Zelenski warns that Russia is preparing a «decisive blow» in its energy offensive against Europe
Instead of tanks and missiles, Russia is using energy as a weapon, he said, and is preparing a "decisive blow" in the energy sector this winter.
Liz Truss, the Conservative Party’s choice, will face a falling British pound and myriad economic troubles.
Elsewhere in Europe, markets started the week on shaky footing after the Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Friday that it would not restart the flow of natural gas between Russia and Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Saturday as expected. Natural gas prices jumped, and stocks slumped.
Elsewhere in Europe, markets started the week on shaky footing after the Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Friday that it would not restart the flow of natural gas between Russia and Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Saturday as expected. Natural gas prices jumped, and stocks slumped.
[M: All right, up until now everybody expected that spice will flow through NS again. How to stop it for ever, who is a competitor, could economical competitiveness factors be one reason behind the future attack on NS?]
Russia’s gas supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will not resume in full until the “collective west” lifts sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has said.Josep Borrell, the EU’s chief diplomat, on Monday acknowledged that certain political factions in the bloc wanted the EU to drop its support for Ukraine, push Kyiv into a ceasefire and abandon sanctions against Russia to ease economic pressure on European countries. He said those views were “not representative” of the position adopted by member states.
[M: Is it possible that Germany wanted to restart the Nordstream?]
6 Sept 2022 - Liz Truss becomes new PM in UK.
Liz Truss did work for Shell as a commercial and finance analyst for a short period after graduating from university.According to Truss's LinkedIn profile and other sources, she worked at Shell from 1996 to 1997, after graduating from the University of Oxford with a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. During her time at Shell, Truss worked in the downstream division of the company, which deals with refining, distribution, and marketing of oil and gas products. As a commercial and finance analyst, she would have been involved in market analysis, financial planning, and commercial strategy development related to downstream operations. After leaving Shell in 1997, Truss went on to work for other companies in the energy and telecommunications industries, as well as in public policy and government positions.
6 Sept 2022 - 'As strong as the storm will be, Britain is stronger'
6 Sept 2022 - Liz Truss delivered her first speech as British prime minister on Tuesday after being formally invited by Queen Elizabeth II to form a government.
"I am confident that together we can ride out the storm"
Liz Truss delivered her first speech as British prime minister on Tuesday after being formally invited by Queen Elizabeth II to form a government.
The new prime minister said her top priorities are to cut taxes, boost energy security and improve the country's health care system.
"We shouldn't be daunted by the challenges we face," she said outside No. 10 Downing Street. "As strong as the storm may be, I know that the British people are stronger. Our country was built by people who get things done. We have huge reserves of talent, of energy and determination. I am confident that together we can ride out the storm."
6 Sept 2022 - Liz Truss becomes new PM in UK.
She sends 4 identical "Letters of last resort" to 4 Trident captains of nuclear deterrence submarines. Liz Truss asked about nuclear weapons: 'I'm ready to do it' 'I'm ready to do it'.
[M: It is theoretically possible that she knew about the plans, did her successor replace them?]
6 Sept 2022 - Can Liz Truss save Global Britain in a disintegrating world?
The UK's new prime minister has plenty of foreign policy experience, but it might not be enough to solve problems abroad and at home.
The UK's new prime minister, Liz Truss, has been in power only a day, but she is already running out of time. So grave are the problems Britain faces. Inflation has hit double digits and energy bills are set to rise by 80 per cent next month. More crises are brewing at home and abroad.
6 Sept 2022 - Letters of last resort: PM’s early task to write to UK’s nuclear sub commanders
[M: If the prime suspect the UK get in trouble for attacking NS these need update. Pity that they will be forever secret.]
6 Sept 2022 - Letters of last resort: PM’s early task to write to UK’s nuclear sub commanders
One of Liz Truss’s early tasks will be to write instructions by hand to each of Britain’s four nuclear submarine commanders, directing them how to respond in the event of an all-out attack that will have killed her and destroyed the UK. They are known as the letters of last resort.
But first, Truss will receive a briefing from Britain’s military chiefs on how the Trident nuclear deterrent operates – including the likely military and human consequences of authorising a retaliatory strike.
It is not necessary for Truss to write the letters immediately after the briefing; the new prime minister has time to reflect. The existing letters, written by Boris Johnson, can remain in force, most obviously for the submarine currently out at sea – at least one must be on patrol at all times for the nuclear deterrent to remain continuous.
The first act of new British Prime Minister Liz Truss on entering Downing Street was to call US President Joe Biden and reaffirm Britain’s backing of NATO’s proxy war in Ukraine against Russia.
Biden tweeted in response, “I look forward to deepening the special relationship between our countries and working in close cooperation on global challenges, including continued support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression.”
[M: Note the UK-USA "Special Relationship" is on pause already on 23 Sept 2022]
The only continuation in personnel from Boris Johnson’s cabinet were Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Armed Forced Minister James Heappey. Both have been instrumental in prosecuting war against Russia.
7 Sept 2022 - I spoke to President @ZelenskyyUa this evening and...
... reiterated our steadfast support for Ukraine’s freedom and democracy. Russia's attempts to weaponise energy must not deter the West. Ukraine can depend on the UK for support in the long term
7 Sept 2022 - UK’s New Energy Chief Rees-Mogg Wants to Drill ‘Every Last Drop’
“We need to be thinking about extracting every last cubic inch of gas from the North Sea because we want security of supply,” Rees-Mogg said in a radio interview earlier this year. “We’re not trying to become net zero tomorrow and we are going to need fossil fuels in the interim and we should use ours that we have got available.”
In May, the court granted a provisional moratorium against bankruptcy proceedings for the first time, which was valid until September 10. This period has now been extended by another four months.
The Swiss company behind the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 has received a four-month extension to try to repay its debts.
8 Sept 2022 - PM Liz Truss's opening speech on the energy policy debate
Firstly, by ramping up supply... we have created a new Energy Supply Taskforce under the leadership of Maddy McTernan. They are already negotiating new long term energy contracts with domestic and international gas suppliers to immediately bring down the cost of this intervention... We are also accelerating all sources of domestic energy, including North Sea oil and gas production... We will end the moratorium on extracting our huge reserves of shale, which could get gas flowing in as soon as six months, where there is local support.
A new Energy Supply Taskforce, led by Madelaine McTernan who headed up the UK’s successful Vaccine Taskforce, has begun negotiations with domestic and international suppliers to agree long-term contracts that reduce the price they charge for energy and increase the security of its supply.
The Taskforce and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will negotiate with renewable producers to reduce the prices they charge as well.
9 Sept 2022 - Truss lifts ban on fracking, and will prop up fossil fuel companies in energy crisis
Europe is particularly reliant on Russian gas, with the nation supplying some 45% of the EU’s total gas imports last year. While imports from Russia made up just 4% of the UK’s total gas supply in 2021,...b ...plans, announced earlier this year, to diminish reliance on Russian imports by building a robust network of fuel suppliers across the US, the Netherlands and the Gulf
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that Russia's war in Ukraine presented Europe with the opportunity to finally end its dependence on Russian energy.
Blinken made the comments after a surprise visit to Ukraine while en route to Brussels where he said he would be discussing energy security at a meeting with NATO representatives.
"There's also a tremendous opportunity … finally once and for all, to move away from this dependence on Russia, to get rid of the chokehold that Russia has on Europe, using energy as a weapon, and to diversify supply, diversify routes," Blinken said.
Russian gas giant Gazprom last week shut the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany citing the need for repairs, with the Kremlin saying sanctions have prevented the proper maintenance of gas infrastructure.
"The fact that Russia has cut off the Nord Stream pipeline again is further evidence that it is so vitally strategic for Europe to move away from dependence on Russian energy because Putin has shown he will use it as a weapon and he’s not going to stop now," Blinken said.
10 Sept 2022 - Portrait of the week: Truss in, Johnson out and Nord Stream 1 off
Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister, said in a speech outside 10 Downing Street: ‘Boris Johnson delivered Brexit, the Covid vaccine and stood up to Russian aggression. History will see him as a hugely consequential prime minister.’ For her part: ‘I am confident that together we can ride out the storm.’
... cruising in close proximity to the two later explosion sites. The ships‘ presence was part of the naval exercise „Northern Coasts 2022“, which also included a German submarine and a mine sweeper... The German Armed Forces call it their „eyes and ears“: The „Oste“ A52 (shown above in 2018), built in the 1990s, is an intelligence ship loaded with electronic, optical, and hydro-acoustic sensors.
11 Sept 2022 - Liz Truss will not accompany King Charles on UK tour, says No 10
Truss will face a nightmarish schedule for parliamentary business in the days after the funeral on Monday 19 September, with parliament set to rise for recess on Thursday 22 September. The prime minister was also planning to attend the UN general assembly that week in New York.
[: NOTE This is in contadction to: 29-09-2022 - "Where is Liz Truss? Our prime minister has gone missing
The prime minister hasn’t spoken in public for a week as the financial market crisis deepens.
We haven’t heard from Truss since she spoke in the graveyard slot at the United Nations, overnight, a week ago. She was in the House of Commons by Kwasi Kwarteng’s side as he announced his emergency Budget on Friday, supportively nodding and smiling, but she scuttled out of the chamber as soon as the leader of the opposition had responded. "]
12 Sept 2022 - NATO exercises with new maritime unmanned systems
REPMUS 22 is led by Portugal and supports the NATO Maritime Unmanned Systems Initiative (MUSI). REPMUS 22 takes place from 12 – 22 September 2022. The exercise has been held in the Portugal’s Troia Bay since 2004.
Exercise DYNAMIC MESSENGER 22 will take place from 23 – 30 September 2022 with an emphasis on integrating maritime unmanned systems into maritime operations. It will be the first-ever exercise with a focus on unmanned underwater systems held under NATO command and on integrating unmanned systems into NATO naval task groups. The exercise will test Alliance readiness to use unmanned systems to counter security challenges ranging from conventional submarine threats, to sea mines and asymmetric threats. Both NATO’s Standing Naval Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) and Standing NATO Maritime Counter Measures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) will be part of DYNAMIC MESSENGER 22.
[M: Note the linked REMPUS pdf - Portugal (host nation), Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States. In addition, several NATO and partner countries are sending observers -> due to short time these assets have NOT been available for the NS sabotage. More than that all NATO eyes and ears were focused on these two exercises. So 12-22 & 23-30 Sept is a window of opportunity for a mining Nordstream.
Yet the operational ctrl of NATO NAVY is Northwood - wiki:
Northwood Headquarters - Commander Operations for the Royal Navy
The NATO Allied Maritime Command is based at Northwood
14 Sept 2022 - Joe Biden and UK’s Liz Truss agree on continued support for Ukraine, tackling energy crisis
“They agreed to redouble bilateral efforts to reduce energy dependence on Russia and to increase the amount of renewable and other forms of energy flowing from democratic states,” the spokesperson added.
Around 1,500 military and civilian personnel from NATO and partner countries are gathering in Portugal this month for two maritime exercises aimed at testing the interoperability of new maritime unmanned systems. Both exercises are being held in areas around the Troia Peninsula.
[M: The question is "Whose dog did not bark?" What team was not in there, what assets]
17 Sept 2022 - Liz Truss warned of mass bankruptcies if firms left in limbo over energy bills
The Prime Minister highlighted the role of the ‘energy price guarantee’ scheme as pressure from struggling businesses mount
Hours after the end of the period of national mourning, Liz Truss said that high energy bills are a “price worth paying” to boost the UK’s energy security.
Liz Truss told reporters during her trip to the United Nations general assembly in New York: “The point I am making is that it’s a price worth paying for Britain because our long-term security is paramount.”
18 Sept 2022 - The Russian sailing ship Sedov (four masts, one of the largest of its kind in the world) left Kaliningrad.
[M: What capabilities that has? Was it there doing something or checking?]
... mine countermeasures vessel Céphée in the Baltic Sea 22¬-23 September 2022 Afterwards the French vessel will moor in Turku until the 28th of September.
20 Sept 2022 - UK PM Liz Truss defends power bills hike, cites 'security', Russia-Ukraine crisis.
20 Sept 2022 - Liz Truss lands in US to reset ‘special relationship’ on first foreign trip as PM
Liz Truss has arrived in the US where she will hold talks with Joe Biden, the US president, on her first foreign trip as UK prime minister.Ahead of the trip, Truss said: “Ukraine’s victories in recent weeks have been inspirational. Time and time again these brave people have defied the doubters and showed what they can do when given the military, economic and political support they need.“My message to the people of Ukraine is this: the UK will continue to be right behind you every step of the way. Your security is our security.”
20 Sept 2022 - Liz Truss sought to strike a conciliatory tone ahead of meeting with Emmanuel Macron, despite declining to say whether she believes the French President is a “friend or foe”.
The Prime Minister stressed the need for a “constructive relationship” combatting Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and unauthorised migrant crossings of the Channel in small boats...Ms Truss sparked a diplomatic row during the Tory leadership contest when she declined to give a clear answer when asked if the president of the allied nation was a “friend or foe”.Instead, the then-foreign secretary said last month that the “jury’s out”. Ms Truss did not return the verdict during an interview with journalists travelling with her to the summit, but stressed she wants a “constructive relationship with France”.
“Of course that means working together on the issue of migration. There are a number of other issues we need to work together on, whether it’s energy security, whether it’s other issues relating to our relationship with the EU – but most importantly, it’s ensuring that Putin does not succeed in Ukraine,” she said.
Ms Truss will meet Mr Macron on Tuesday, before seeing Mr Biden and Ms von der Leyen on Wednesday. She had been set to talk to the US President in Britain over the weekend as he visited for the Queen’s funeral, but the meeting was postponed.
...The Prime Minister said:
By turning off the taps of Nord Stream gas pipeline, Putin has consigned millions of people in Europe to a colder and more difficult winter.Too many lives – in Ukraine, in Europe and around the world – are being manipulated by a dependence on Russian energy. We need to work together to end this once and for all.
...President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss, met at the UN General Assembly in New York today.
...They strongly condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine and agreed that Putin's recent calls to mobilise parts of the population were a sign that Russia's invasion is failing. It is a statement of weakness...
They also discussed UK EU relations including energy, food security and the Northern Ireland Protocol.
01:00 min: "...Geopolitics is entering a new era.."
06:00 min: "We are cutting off the toxic power and pipelines from authoritarian regimes and strengthening our energy resilience."
[M What kid of "cutting off" is this? Of UK cutting itself off, which has been done already or cutting EU off the RU gas? Note that in September 2021 the UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Kwasi Kwarteng told a parliamentary committee:
"We are not exposed to Russian supply as many of our EU counterparts are" ]
"We will ensure we cannot be coerced or harmed by the reckless actions of rogue actors abroad."
[M What kid of talk is this? That UK is ready to neuter any RU retaliation move?]"The free world needs this economic strength and resilience to push back against authoritarian aggression and win this new era of strategic competition.
We must do this together."
[M ?, looks to me as an appeal to people UK may have informed beforehand, IF UK is the culprit.]
We are fortifying our deep security alliances in Europe and beyond through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force.
[M ? The JEF is made to be deployed in short time on an exercise.]
08:30 min: "The UK is providing funding, using the might of the City of London and our security capabilities to provide better alternatives to those offered by malign regimes.
The resolute international response to Ukraine has shown how we can deliver decisive collective action.
The response has been built on partnerships and alliances and also on being prepared to use new instruments – unprecedented sanctions, diplomatic action, and rapid military support.
There has been a strength of collective purpose – we have met many times, spoken many times on the phone, we have made things happen.
Now we must use these instruments in a more systematic way to push back on the economic aggression of authoritarian regimes.
The G7 and our like-minded partners should act as an economic NATO, collectively defending our prosperity.
If the economy of a partner is being targeted by an aggressive regime we should act to support them. All for one and one for all.
12:00 min "In all these areas, on all of the fronts, the time to act is now. This is a decisive moment in our history, in the history of this organization and in the history of freedom...
The story of 2022 could have been that of an authoritarian state rolling its tanks over the border of a peaceful neighbour and subjugating its people.
Instead, it is the story of freedom fighting back.
In the face of rising aggression we have shown we have the power to act and the resolve to see it through.
But this cannot be a one-off.
This must be a new era in which we commit to ourselves, our citizens, and this institution that we will do whatever it takes – whatever it takes to deliver for our people and defend our values."
Britain’s commitment to this is total.
We will be a dynamic, reliable and trustworthy partner.
[M: Whoever signed the STATE ACTOR mission had to have consistent narrative and real constant objections against it. The UK has been for years most vocal and their PM was even speaking at UN assembly against pipelines and RU carbohydrates just a 5 days before the attack on those pipelines.]
The Prime Minister told fellow world leaders that the UK will spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, repeating a promise she made when she campaigned to become Tory leader.
She said: “In the face of rising aggression we have shown we have the power to act and the resolve to see it through. But this must not be a one-off. “This must be a new era in which we commit to ourselves, our citizens, and this institution that we will do whatever it takes – whatever it takes to deliver for our people and defend our values.”
23 Sept 2022 - <News about 21-09-2022 Liz Truss Biden meeting>
Is the 'special relationship' all over? Joe Biden did not use the phrase during first meeting with Liz Truss, sparking rumour it is being 'retired'
The phrase has long stood for the enduring bond between the UK and US.
But Liz Truss’s first meeting with Joe Biden in Washington suggested the term ‘special relationship’ may be phased out as she launched her new foreign policy ethos.
The President did not utter the words, first used by Winston Churchill, during bilateral talks, but instead told her: ‘You’re our closest ally in the world.’
...Last night the White House denied the term had been ‘retired’ but offered to suspend its use, with an official saying: ‘We’ll shut it down until we can figure out what’s going on.’However, the exchange was in sharp contrast to when Miss Truss entered No 10 earlier this month.At the time, Mr Biden said he looked forward to ‘deepening the special relationship’ between the two nations.
Liz Truss’s first meeting with Joe Biden in Washington suggested the term ‘special relationship’ may be phased out. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting during the PM's visit to the US to attend 77th UN General Assembly
Biden:0:46 sec "...There is no wish we you like to think of a GLOBAL CONSEQUENCE that the United States and United Kingdom are not working in cooperation and I expect that we would be able to do that ... we spoke also about energy..."Truss, 3:00: "...we want to work more closely with US, especially in energy security on our economic security but also on reaching out to fellow democracies around the world to make sure that democracies prevail and we protect the freedom and future of our citizens..."
[M: What is the substance of reaching out what UK can not do itself?]
[M: Considering that there was a Swedish navy in the area as Dagens Nyheter reports, I assume they were looking into what they were doing]
22, 23, 24, 25 September - SWE newspapers Dagens Nyheter report that Swedish navy was in the area a few days before the sabotage.
[M: There is MUCH to be deducted from this information. The DK/SWE has noticed there is some unidentified submarine in the area, went to check it out. There will be separate post about this. Basically it looks like UK Ambush class sub was there, deposited charges (not directly, most likely some MK11, or other delivery SWCS - see here). On twitter there is much about it by me. Note that ships switched off trackers, perhaps they were conducting submarine hunt. What is going on, why is nobody writing about this? Could explain 3/4 pipelines were blown.]
Poseidon aircraft over the Baltic sea the 23rd, 24th, and 25th of September, all magically showing up on climb 11000ft at 1AM UTC (3AM local).
The two “dark ships,” each measuring around 95 to 130 meters long, passed within several miles of the Nord Stream 2 leak sites. “We have detected some dark ships, meaning vessels that were of a significant size, that were passing through that area of interest,” says Jerry Javornicky, the CEO and cofounder of SpaceKnow
Ships turned off their AIS transponders. “It would not be common practice [to have AIS turned off], unless the vessels have a classified military mission or they would have some clandestine objectives, because the Baltic Sea is one of the busiest seas in the world in terms of commercial traffic,” says Otto Tabuns, the director of the Baltic Security Foundation, an NGO that focuses on the region.
[M: It looks like those two dark ships are the SWE navy boats which were reported above. At some points they switched off transponders to hide what they were doing, e.g. hunting submarine in certain pattern, or entering DK territorial waters following their target..?]
23 Sept 2022 - On Monday 26 September 2022, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will meet with the President of the European Commission, Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, at the Berlaymont building of the European Commission. There will be no media opportunity.
[M: Is this a smoking gun that Jens Stoltenberg told Ursula von der Leyen on the day of the Nordstream attack? Issued on 23 Sep. 2022 - the day Nordstream was attacked. Note that 1st blow was on Monday at 3am, the other at 5 pm. They met this very day.]
23 Sept 2022 - Truss axes national security council, sparking ‘talking-shop’ concerns
Labour says new merged foreign policy council could reduce Whitehall policy-makers’ focus on security
Liz Truss has scrapped the national security council and merged it with two Boris Johnson-era foreign policy committees in a structure that Labour warned risked diluting the government’s security focus.
Created in 2010 under the coalition, led by David Cameron and Nick Clegg, to better coordinate security policy after the disaster of the Iraq war, the NSC is now to be replaced by a broad eight-strong foreign policy and security council (FPSC).
[M: A separate post with details created here]
23 Sept 2022 - Liz truss missing
She was in the House of Commons by Kwasi Kwarteng’s side as he announced his emergency Budget on Friday, supportively nodding and smiling, but she scuttled out of the chamber as soon as the leader of the opposition had responded.
24 Sept 2022 - Large fleet formation of the US Navy passes Fehmarnbelt
A US Navy fleet passed Fehmarn on Thursday morning. The "USS Kearsarge" as flagship was the largest warship.
[M: Some consider that the NS was a job of this group. Looks like they left but possibly there was a submarine somewhere nearby? Could it be USA wanted be away from it? Another post1, post2]
25 Sept 2022 - Unidentified plane over the critical area
(credit to: fernando freitas, @fernandobill27, P8? anti-submarine capability?)
"Russian submarines were also observed not far from those areas last week, one of the intelligence officials said... US officials declined to comment on the intelligence about the ships on Wednesday."
[M: Well, CNN has some info that there was a submarines there and does not elaborate further? And, CNN says that it was Russian and then nobody followed up on this? Fishy, smelly. More info needed here.]
The arrival of the warship to New York comes hours after Liz Truss spoke about her intentions to make the UK’s 'special' relationship with the US 'even more special' in the next few years.Ms Truss said: 'I do think our relationship is special and it’s increasingly important at a time when we’re facing threats from Russia, increased assertiveness from China.'I’m determined that we make the special relationship even more special over the coming years.'
26, 27 Sept 2022 - On September 26 and 27, Allies
Hungary, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Partner Finland will conduct the third Ramstein Alloy exercise in 2022 with a focus on NATO’s Deter and Defend concept... Spanish NASAMS air defence systems will simulate the defence of Lielvarde Air Base in Latvia against aerial attacks – a skill set that fighter pilots need to practice establishing air superiority during defensive operations, e.g. in an Article 5 situation... For the first time we are including both air- and surface-based Integrated Air and Missile Defence activities in our drills... NATO’s ‘Deter and Defend’ concept increases the level of integration and planning of Allied military activities. It seeks to counter threats by providing a common framework for deterrence and defense in peace, crisis, and war. The concept leverages a deliberate rhythm of military activity across the Alliance and across all operational domains and functional areas.
On Monday, September 26, incidents occurred simultaneously on two Russian export gas pipelines to Europe two gas leaks were discovered at Nord Stream and one at Nord Stream 2 near Bornholm Island. EUS registered 2 tremors in the Baltic Sea on the night of Monday 26 September at 02.03 & at 19.03, both Danish summer time.
26 Sept 2022 - According to the article, a phone hack revealed Truss sent a text to U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken a few minutes before the explosion saying “It’s done.”
26 Sept 2022 - Here the details from ADSB where you realize that the P8's speed was dropping right ahead Nordstream/Bornholm for a few minutes only. If the US Navy P-8A from KeflavÃk, Iceland was at the place after the event, why did it leave earlier to be there in just that time?
[M: was the plane dropping sonobuoys? like e.g. these and then transmitting data? It's important to highlight that a P-8A Poseidon was at a very low altitude hinting that it was looking for a submarine during that night. How so this plane left Iceland and was in the area before/during/after the sabotage?]
26-09-2022 - A U.S. Navy reconnaissance aircraft flew near the stage of the ruptured Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea hours after the first damage emerged, according to tracking reviewed by Reuters, a flight Washington said was routine. (US Navy P-8A from KeflavÃk, Iceland.)
26 Sept 2022 - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General. (See the -3D Fridays urgent Stoltenberg´s request - on NATO web press release pages.)
[M: The first sabotage was at 3am on Monday 26-09-2022 the second at 5pm 26-09-2022. The meeting was arranged on Friday 23-09-2022 and No journalists were allowed - based on NATO press release.]
26 Sept 2022 - UK, Russian defence officials meet in London;
26 Sep 2022 - 19:01 (19:01 GMT)
The UK’s chief of defence staff has held talks with the Russian defence attaché at the Ministry of Defence in London.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and Colonel Maxim Elovik met as part of ongoing efforts to “strengthen military to military channels of communication” with Russia.
26 Sept 2022 - "It is now the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident," Mette Frederiksen told journalists.
[M: Based on this and other similar news it looks like DK was unclear about the cause and how to define the event]
27 Sept 2022 - UK’s Liz Truss: I support Brits who take up arms against Putin
27 Sept 2022 - EU chief Von der Leyen says 'sabotage' behind Nord Stream pipeline leaks
[M: Note that Von der Leyen states clearly that this is an act of sabotage. What information has she based this claim? Why is by her "state terrorist act" and "accident" already ditched? Did she know beforehand? ALL others, especially DK, SWE were more careful about framing it as no preliminary investigation was done.]
27 Sept 2022 - Denmark, Sweden view Nord Stream leaks as 'sabotage'
[M: This DW headline is misleading, the report does not state anything like that]
Magdalena Andersson - It is probably a matter of sabotage," Andersson said.
Like Frederiksen, she said it was not a "matter of an attack on Swedish or Danish territory.
Ukraine has put the blame firmly at the door of Russia.
"The large-scale 'gas leak' from Nord Stream 1 is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression towards the EU," Kyiv's presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
[M: There are two groups here, one who claims and defines it is "sabotage" and the other as "lets see, what investigation shows", Russia claims Terrorist act. Ukraine blaming terrorist act is a hint they did not know likely who was behind.]
Separately, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was "extremely concerned" by the reports of damage and that no option, including sabotage, could be excluded at the moment.
Some time between 26 - 30 Sept 2022 DK requests an urgent meeting with UK, NATO and EU officials on highest level. Official DK request:
[M: There is no date on this announcement, had to be between 27th and 30th of September. Note that Mette Frederiksen flies only to meet Liz Truss to London but with other state heads/PMs conducts only web calls. Then she travels to Brussels. btw, thanks for the translation to the twitter user I find/add later.]
27 Sept 2022 - NATO Secretary General convenes top Alliance procurement officials
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg convened an extraordinary meeting of the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) on Tuesday (27 September 2022) at NATO Headquarters.
The Secretary General urged Allies to continue replenishing stocks as rapidly as possible. “Enhancing NATO stockpiles will ensure we can keep supporting Ukraine,” he said. “We need to keep working together as NATO Allies and with industry to replenish our munitions stocks and provide Ukraine with the support it needs, for as long as Ukraine needs it,” he added.
[M: Looks like he spilled beans and clarified the UK (?) attack on NS, what did he tell? /speculation. What I mean is that IF this is a cover he will push forward unchanged NATO united policy toward Russia. Same thing with EI sanctions, in 2d they were passed as nothing happened.]
28 Sept 2022 - Where is Liz Truss? Our prime minister has gone missing
We haven’t heard from Truss since she spoke in the graveyard slot at the United Nations, overnight, a week ago. It was Kwasi Kwarteng’s who announced his emergency Budget on Friday
[M: 28th is Wednesday, 26h was Monday - the day NS was blown, but it seems Liz Truss has disappeared already on Wed 21st, last posted after submitting the minibudget. No trace, no message to nation. Was she hiding or was she cleared out because the mission was not going well? Note that Swedish navy was tracking some submarine. Was Liz Truss as a key person hidden in some bunker? Note that Boris Johnson also was not in London, supposedly left UK for 3 consecutive holidays with family - Slovenia, Greece, Caribbean]
"Russia has escalated the invasion of Ukraine to a new level... And we are determined to make the Kremlin pay the price for this further escalation..2) Further restriction of trade: New import bans on Russian products, depriving the 🇷🇺 economy of €7 billion in revenues... A legal basis for an oil price cap. Some developing countries still need some Russian oil supplies, at low-prices. This cap will help reduce Russia’s revenues and keep global energy markets stable."
[M: A red flag here. There is no info that it is an act of sabotage and not an act of state terrorism. Unless he or someone who presented him the result of an analyses containing details of consultations with insurers (who can see confidential contracts btw?) then there is NO WAY he should be capable to know. Alternative theory is that he is proposing shaping the narrative as "sabotage". There is lots of material about it, I thnk I started here, then UN resolution 49/60, by which it approved the Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, and many others. Conclusion -> They differ a lot.]
28 Sept 2022 - Norway to deploy military to protect its oil and gas installations
Norway is the third largest exporter of natural gas in the world, behind Russia and Qatar. About 95 per cent of Norwegian gas production is exported via pipelines directly to the EU and UK. Norway primarily pipes its gas to receiving terminals in Britain, Germany, France and Belgium and late in 2022 also opened a new pipeline to Poland via Denmark.Norway is typically the UK's largest gas supplier. In 2021, the UK imported £14.5 billion of gas from Norway, which accounted for 77% of all gas imports.
[M: It looks like the Norway was worried about becoming a target for Russian retaliation in kind. About Russian possible strike against Norwegian piped gas deliveries to UK]
29 Sept 2022 - Nord Stream attacks highlight vulnerability of undersea pipelines in west
“We keep a constant watch on movements out of Kaliningrad and the Kola peninsula,” a Nordic military official said, referring to two centres of Russian naval activity. The official described them as “choke points”, where Russian submarines would have to pass through a relatively narrow sea passage to reach the Baltic and North Atlantic.
[M: The West admits seeing Kaliningrad in a chokepoint position. West COULD impose a naval blockade would Russia be found responsible for demolishing Nordstream and causing damages to DK, SWE. The very same reason I discounted the RU involvement straight away. Too much RU business needs free DK straights. Self-sabotage would bring dire consequences.]
CNN’s Alex Marquardt and Oren Liebermann contributed to this report.:
[M: This is very odd because nobody else reported about this. Note the Swedish navy activity on 22,23, 24/09 which I reported earlier as very highly a submarine here, is this a clue? Were further submarine reports supressed? All NATO data goes to the Northwood btw anyway. If there was a RU submarines they should be able to disclose data and bring them to justice. Posted also earlier for the sake of the timeline.]
29 Sept 2022 - Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, ordered...
...stepped-up military and police patrols at the country’s oil and gas rigs and pipelines after the explosions.
[M: Is this a fear of similar action or a worry about Russian retaliation to its largest customer, the UK?]
The French FREMM frigate Normandie and a Caiman helicopter tracked the Russian Kilo-class submarine Novorossiysk. As per reports, the French navy escorted the Russian submarine in the Bay of Biscay. The British and Spanish warships had also been involved in monitoring the submarine’s movements.
[M: What was this about? Why would RU submarine killer sub suddenly surface? What UK and SPA assets were there? Is it possible that the UK asset was a submarine? The HMS S120 Ambush anchored in Faslane/Clyde base in early October - similar hunt like few years back - 2018 "ASTUTE TACTICS Royal Navy submarine locked in ‘cat and mouse’ pursuit with pair of Russian hunter-killer subs dubbed ‘the Black Hole’ = same Kilo class]
[M: Could it be that a UK submarine was leaving the crime scene to reach Gibraltar or other base but due to RU Kilo class submarine it changed direction to Clyde/Faslane?]
[M: The Astute class sub has speed 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph), submerged. The blue line is some 1200 miles so it would take some 60h at avg. speed of 20 mph. The sub reached Faslane in early October, I presume 04/10/202. Someone more skilled should tell speed/time required.]
with an RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint spy plane on patrol above international waters to the south of Crimea on September 29 when one of them 'released a missile'.
[M: There were 2 events between RU assets and UK plane and boat. Why? Was the South Stream also a target?]
... told The Associated Press that it was "not so demanding" to carry out an operation either by using a remotely operated underwater vehicle or sending divers from a submarine or a surface vessel.
The Novorossiysk submarine, carrying nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, emerged from the depths of the mid-Atlantic and approached the shores of Britain and France, making its presence especially clear.
The Russian diesel-electric submarine of the Kilo II class, named Novorossiysk, was launched in 2014. Its feature is almost complete invisibility for anti-submarine systems (Codename means Black Hole).
French Atlantic Fleet Commander Olivier Lebas says this is the first time a Russian submarine has been sighted near the Bay of Biscay, on the border between Spain, France and Britain, and it certainly sends a message to Britain and France.
[M: Did the RU submarine killer hunted the UK submarine responsible for the sabotage and "soft-killed" it? Was the message "UK SUB, GOT YOU, YOU WOULD BE SUNK, SURFACING"? {perhaps???}. In some other news I read that RU killer subs often go in pairs. What happened there? Shadow fight? Are all subs accounted for?]
29 Sept 2022 - UK economy updates from September 29: Kwarteng stands by tax cuts, Truss blames ‘global’ factors
...Downing Street said Truss believed the group, which includes the EU and a number of countries outside the bloc including Ukraine and Balkan states, could help to shape a regional response to Russia.
Number 10 had insisted that the body had a narrowly focused agenda: the first meeting will consider energy security, European migration and the crisis in Ukraine.
30 Sept 2022 - US president Joe Biden has said damage to Nord Stream was a deliberate act of sabotage.
30 September 2022 - Rishi Sunak Govt Slams 'lie Of Epic Scale' As Russia Blames UK For Nord Stream Attack
30 Sept 2022 - NATO Threatens Retaliation After Gas Leaks It Says Were Likely Sabotage
The NATO military alliance warned Thursday it would retaliate for any attacks on the critical infrastructure of its 30 member countries and joined other Western officials in citing sabotage as the likely cause of damage to two natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
[M: Considering the Nordstream is 51% Russian this is very odd statement.]
30 Sept 2022 - Russia could carry out attacks in space, warns British Armed
Admiral says if Russia did carry out strikes on satellites it would provoke 'a strong response' from Nato
[M: Does this look like he is expecting some kind of Russian response? If the NS was an attack, and he expects more attacks, why is NATO not on heavy alert?]
The biggest military exercise in the UK begins tomorrow as more than 11,000 sailors, soldiers and aircrew wage a 12-day ‘war’ around the British Isles.
From Cape Wrath and the Hebrides to the North Sea and Channel, naval forces from across NATO will grapple with attacks from above, on and below the waves during Joint Warrior, Britain’s long-standing test of it – and international – military by land, sea and air.
More than 20 ships and a handful of submarines, led by seven Royal Navy warships, including destroyer HMS Diamond and three frigates (Kent, Northumberland and Somerset), plus a couple of Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers are participating.
More than 30 aircraft, including RAF Typhoon fighters and long-range maritime patrol aircraft will be committed, as well as drone technology and exercise planners intend to use ‘virtual’ aerial assets alongside live ones to test the response of participants.
Anti-submarine ships, aircraft and helicopters will hunt down live submarines, while land forces dealing with foes will include the gunners of 29 Commando Royal and elements of the US Marine Corps.“Exercise Joint Warrior is a fantastic opportunity to fully demonstrate HMS Kent’s wide-ranging capabilities in close consort with other Royal Navy units, ground units, air assets and multinational forces,” said the Commanding Officer of the Portsmouth-based frigate, Commander Jez Brettell.
Joint Warrior is typically run from Clyde Naval Base, with the action mostly focused in north-west Scotland and adjacent waters.
This latest exercise, however, casts its net across the British Isles. Naval task groups will face each other down in both the North Sea off the coast of Scotland and the north-east coast of England, then again in the western Channel off Cornwall and Devon.
As a result, the exercise – which is due to end on October 12 – will be directed from RAF St Mawgan, near Newquay in Cornwall.
"And we are stepping up our sharing of intelligence, sharing of information. MARCOM, our Maritime Command in Northwood is collecting a lot of this information."
[M: If UK was the culprit, then all NATO intel data was going to UK, under UK leadership. So, does this mean that UK had operational ctrl over the NS sabotage? - Note that both NATO and Royal Navy have HQs next to each other in London-Northwoods]
Later the on meeting 06/10: “I am very pleased, I must say, that our British friend has decided to join us,” she said, referring to the participation of British Prime Minister Liz Truss in the event.
After that, von der Leyen glanced at the British prime minister and paused, but, the newspaper emphasizes, “did not succeed in creating the necessary effect.” According to the author of the article, the awkward pause lasted at least five seconds, during which no one applauded the words of the politician.
The summit, which was attended by 44 countries, was the first meeting of a new political forum, which was announced as the goal of decision-making on issues such as migration and the energy crisis.
Translation: Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will meet on Saturday 1 October with British Prime Minister Liz Truss in London and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the President of the European Council Charles Michel in Brussels.
[M: This looks like a very urgent and not pre-planned meeting. Note that her trip is ONLY to UK, with other heads she has online calls. Originally I believed that Mette went to meet Truss to present the hydroacoustic evidence which shows that it was a UK asset near Bronholm. Now I am inclined to think that the decision of a cover up has been taken before the meeting but DK people should ask Mette K.]
"The government views the damage to Nord Stream 1 and 2 with the utmost seriousness. It is about the entire infrastructure of Europe, but of course the seriousness is especially felt here, as the incidents happened in our immediate area. I am in close dialogue with our partners to discuss the situation and ensure close cooperation. Among other things, how we will better protect our European energy infrastructure going forward.”
[M: These 4 people are incremental for the cover up as they drive the direction of the criminal case. IF UK was behind, how to that DK did NOT rang the alarm immediately?]
The trips to London and Brussels follow talks with a number of heads of state and government, including a video conference with the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, and the Swedish Prime Minister, Magdalena Andersson, who leads the Swedish transitional government .
[M: Again, note that the trip. She travels first and foremost to the London. Then she goes to Brussels to meet NATO head Jens Stoltenberg and EU head Michel. Is this a cover up from top? Will this ever be checked?]
31 Sept 2022 - UK Prime Minister Liz Truss meets with her Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen in London - video before meeting.
On energy security more widely, the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Frederiksen agreed on the need for likeminded democracies to work together to increase our energy independence.
The Prime Minister outlined the steps the UK has taken to decrease energy bills in the short-term and bolster our energy supply in the longer term. The leaders agreed to further UK-Danish cooperation in areas like wind power, where our countries are global pioneers.
[M: To me Mette looks quite upset and stressed out. So was it so that for DK the UK was a prime suspect from the very beginning? Why do they speak about wind power cooperation on emergency Nordstream meeting? UK promising offsets to DK for damages to its fisheries?]
31 Sept 2022 - Danish Premier Frederiksen: extremely worried about Nord Stream sabotage quote... video after meeting.
[M: To me Mette has very odd body language, she looks down and shakes bit head while she says we do not know who is responsible]
30 Sept 2022 - Exercise Northern Strike proves a vital test for NATO partnership working
[M: From early on top decisionmakers frame the case as a "sabotage", not a "state terrorism". There is HUGE reason why this is. More info in the link to legal aspects]
Seems there were some changes in planning and the meeting was day postponed.
01 Oct 2022 - UK's Truss meets Danish counterpart, discuss Nord Stream 'sabotage'
They agreed the incidents were clearly an act of sabotage," Truss's office said in a statement.
[M: Based on what? Why not an act of state terrorist attack on key infrastructure?]
01 Oct 2022 - Metter Frederiksen "Things can happen that we have not had the imagination to imagine"
We are vulnerable, we are worried, and we are in very, very close dialogue with our allies. No country can handle this task alone, says Mette Frederiksen... I listen a lot to what Putin says. Both in his speech yesterday, but also on other occasions. And I notice that it is said directly from Putin's side that several different weapons and methods may be used.
[M: She knew already who was behind. Note the last part -> Some action by Russia was expected. The only sense I see is that Russia would opt for retaliation. Yet Russia has chosen NOT to react. It does look like of the of objectives of the Nordstream sabotage was to provoke Russia to respond outside the localized Russian-Ukrainian conflict]
Vladimir Putin could launch an attack on the UK from space bringing down its communications systems and isolating it from the world, reportedly warned the head of the Britain's armed forces
Sir Tony has put into the spotlight the full array of options that Putin could use against the West from sabotage subs and nuclear missiles to an information war.
Meanwhile, an attack on GPS systems could disrupt sat-nav systems, potentially causing grief for civilians as well as security forces.
[M: This looks like a reverse admission that UK is primary responsible for the UK destruction. That the UK top military person was expecting some next step, listing options.]
1 Oct 2022 - Putin could launch attacks on West in SPACE says head of Britain's armed forces Admiral Sir Tony Radakin
Sir Tony Radakin said Russia would be heavily targeted by Western allies it would garner a strong response and be hurt significantly.
He argued the UK had the resolve to see the crisis through and overcome the impending threats of Russian aggression.
The 56-year-old went on to argue that Putin did not want war with NATO.
At the same time the united front shown by the Western powers has been a huge incentive for the people of Ukraine.
[M: Looks like admission to me. If Russia attacks some of our infrastructure... Hallooo... the Nordstream has just been attacked.... Russia would be heavily targeted.... If just "UK had the resolve", then I suppose the attack against NS is primarily a UK operation? Then he basically says that Russia has limited sets to respond and analysts confirmed him that Russia will most likely not respond. The act unifies against RU for UA support. /my understanding, reading between words.]
European leaders believe both explosions were an intentional act carried out on the Kremlin's orders
[M: Why is DailyMail telling that European leaders believe that it was Russia on Kremlin orders? What is the source?]
Sir Tony declined to blame Russia but said they had the capabilities to damage the Continent and Ukraine on information battles.
[M: Duh, looks like he speaks about limited RU response now, looks like the most expected scenario they modelled.]
01 Oct 2022 - Metter Frederiksen "Things can happen that we have not had the imagination to imagine"
We are vulnerable, we are worried, and we are in very, very close dialogue with our allies. No country can handle this task alone, says Mette Frederiksen... I listen a lot to what Putin says. Both in his speech yesterday, but also on other occasions. And I notice that it is said directly from Putin's side that several different weapons and methods may be used.
1-12 October - NATO forces participate in UK-led Exercise Joint Warrior
More than 11,000 personnel from NATO countries are participating in UK-led Exercise Joint Warrior. Taking place from 1 to 12 October, the biannual exercise includes defence against simulated attacks above, on, and below the water – extending from Cape Wrath and the Hebrides in the north, to the North Sea and the western Channel.
[M: Just a silly thought, was the NS false flag to provoke response, then be ready due to this exercise? Just a coincidence?]
3 Oct 2022 - "The person responsible for the Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks is unlikely to ever be held accountable", Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, Commander of the German Navy, told Monday's "Aktuaalne kaamera".
"The basis for seeing possible events is a clear picture of the sea, or observation. If there is a clear picture of the air, surface or subsurface — almost clear, because you cannot always be completely sure — then you can look at anomalies in the system and then you can bring a special unit to the area where the anomaly was detected," Kaack said.
[M: My interpretation is that Germany KNOWS for sure which asset was there and caused the sabotage]
3 Oct 2022 - Royal Navy warships deployed to help guard gas supplies after attack on Nord Stream pipelines ‘ordered by Putin’
BRITAIN has sent warships to protect North Sea gas pipes and internet cables from Russian sabotage.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace ordered a Type 23 frigate and the survey ship HMS Enterprise to face down the potential threats.
Enterprise uses sonar and mini sub drones to scan the seabed for signs of interference such as mines and monitors on cables and pipes.
Mr Wallace refused to explicitly blame Russia for the Nord Stream blasts.
But he said Russian spy ships were routinely seen near our critical national infrastructure.
[M: Looks to me as to protect against retaliation, eye-for-eye, pipeline-for-pipeline response mitigation]
3 Oct 2022 - After deliberate damage was caused to the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea,
@BWallaceMP today spoke to counterparts from Joint Expeditionary Force partners.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace added:
"In this period of heightened concern for all like-minded partner nations, it is right that we act with speed, agility and collective resolve to actively demonstrate our shared commitment to mutual security."
[M: Is Ben Wallace asking for a cover from allies shielding UK behind collective security?]
The group condemned the blatant attacks against civilian infrastructure.
The JEF is a group of like-minded nations – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom. The nations share the same purpose, values and a common focus on security and stability in the JEF core regions of the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea region.
[M: Note this statement - "The JEF will ensure complementarity, alignment and transparency with NATO as well as the investigation led by Danish, Swedish and German authorities."
[M: To me it looks like that any statement by a single actor if stonewalled for investigations to proceed. I am suspicious that this means the UK (if guilty) is trying to supress any data leaks. Normal statement would be FULL COOPERATION and HELP for investigators providing ALL DATA.]
3 Oct 2022 - UK frigate joins Norwegian navy ships guarding North Sea pipelines
[M: Note that it is NOR & UK protecting against what seems to be Russian response in kind. Imagine the outburst if "Russia attacked second European infrastructure". Germany as not joined here Norway and UK despite them being nr.2 importer of NOR gas.]
The concern from the Royal United Services Institute is that the destruction of satellites could damage things like military GPS systems.
The SWE submarine rescue vessel HSwMS Belos was dispatched on to the Nord Stream leaks sites. It was visiting Mälmo on 23rd, just 3 days before the blast.
4 Oct 2022 - This is our war as much as it is Ukraine’s, says UK defence procurement minister in Fastlane, Clyde
Alec Shelbrooke, the minister for defence procurement, made the comments as he met with Navy personnel at His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde.
He met with Navy personnel onboard HMS Ambush, including the submarine’s captain.
[M: Why is he risking his nice suit and visits dirty submarine? Why is he NOT speaking with submariners outside in some meeting room? Mutiny? Protects, complains? What issues?]
“That would embolden Russia, it would embolden Putin, it would be a direct threat to Nato, which we are absolutely crystal clear that any invasion of Nato territory triggers Article 5.
“Fundamentally, this is a fight against a fascist dictatorship.”
The minister’s trip to Faslane was his first visit to Scotland since being appointed to his role on September 7.
[M: Why is the cargo bay covered? The gunk around the side shows that the submarine just finished the rotation and returned for refit, cleaning, resupply, etc]
4 Oct 2022 - Nordic Countries’ Response To Nord Stream Sabotage
The submarine rescue vessel HMS Belos was dispatched to the Nord Stream leaks sites.
[M: What is this ship doing there and why can not Nordstream AB participate in monitoring own assets? Is there some problem with e.g. UK minisubmarine? MK11? Or did there the saboteur leave some fingerprints?]
Danish vessels deployed to the site of the leakages include environmental protection ship HDMS Gunnar Thorson as well as the frigate HDMS Absalon.
Closer to the other end of the pipeline, Finland has declined to comment on whether there is an increase in readiness following the Nordstream leaks in line with a longstanding policy of ambiguity, but Prime Minister Sanna Marin hosted a press conference on 28 September during which she noted that Finnish authorities “closely monitor” the Finnish exclusive economic zone, without going into details. However, Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat reported that the initial response had been hampered by the fact that neither of the Finnish Border Guard’s Dornier Do 228 maritime patrol aircraft were able to fly during the days following the incident due to technical faults.
[M: To me it looks like that Finland is aware of who blew the pipeline, rejeccts to impose sea embargo on Russia and chooses waiting strategy]
4 Oct 2022 - The British missile destroyer had entered the Black Sea on the evening of October 4.
5 Oct 2022 - US considering offering to analyse underwater audio recordings to aid Nord Stream pipeline sabotage investigationsThe Russian military issued a warning and fired several missiles towards the British missile destroyer.
The US Navy’s processing of the sonar signatures – the term for the unique underwater sounds – provided by Sweden and Denmark could boost the investigations by providing a more detailed picture of what was in the area at the time of the pipeline explosions and what caused them, sources said...Each type of underwater machinery like submarines, torpedoes and vessel engines makes a unique sound that is called a “sonar signature,” and the US has an extensive library of these sounds.
[M: I noticed that Russia has also offered their help to analyse data but DK rejected both. I suppose they do not want to disclose what sonars they have, what sensitivity, reach etc. I could not find the RU news again.]
[Update 19-02-2023 - M: Why is USA just "CONSIDERING"? Is it is hint toward the saboteur telling them: I can expose you at will? - separate post created here]
6 Oct 2022 - Liz Truss: Ending European reliance on Russian energy...
and tackling the criminal gangs that traffic people across Europe are priorities that President @EmmanuelMacron and I share. Good to agree closer cooperation on these areas with our French friends today.
6 Oct 2022 - The support at the gas line ended. On October 6, the Armed Forces' support to the Coast Guard at the gas pipeline was suspended. This when the on-site investigation was deemed complete by the authorities that led it and the request for support was thereby withdrawn. The SWE HSwMS Belos returns to other activities.
Meanwhile, Danish police on Tuesday said they had completed several inspections of the leaks in the Danish zone, together with the intelligence service PET.
Another probable cause, according to a British military source, is that the Russians special ops may have discreetly laid mines from a disguised commercial vessel and detonated them days or weeks later.
Truss met Macron for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the president’s European Political Community meeting in Prague, aimed at bringing the continent together in the face of Russian aggression...
...She told UK broadcasters before Thursday’s meeting she had worked “very, very closely” with the president and the French government in Paris.
“We’re both very clear the foe is (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, who has through his appalling war in Ukraine threatened freedom and democracy in Europe and pushed up energy prices which we’re now all having to deal with,” she added.
7 Oct 2022 - Fears Russia has planted mines on UK’s internet and power cables after ‘Putin ordered gas pipeline attack’
A government told the Daily Mail the Danish probe is being carefully watched to see if it will point the finger at Russia and Vladimir
The British missile destroyer HMS Dragon, which entered the waters of the Black Sea, ignored the warning about the inadmissibility of entering the designated area of the Black Sea and several cruise anti-ship missiles were fired in its direction. It is known that the warship was taken to be escorted by Russian military aircraft and Russian ships of the Black Sea Fleet, actively tracking the movements of the destroyer.
8 Oct 2022 - From Portsmouth to Odesa, UK and Ukraine naval cooperation on show as Ukrainian President visits HMS Prince of Wales
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was able to showcase the awesome capabilities of UK defence whilst hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defence Minister Andriy Taran aboard HMS Prince of Wales, docked at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth
It came as Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon sails in the Black Sea in support of freedom of navigation. A port visit to Odesa will enable interactions with Ukrainian counterparts and showcase the UK-led Maritime Training Initiative.
8 Oct 2022 - Crimean Bridge explosion
On 8 October 2022, at 6:07 am, a fire broke out on the Crimean Bridge as a result of an explosion, which occurred on the road bridge, on or under the westbound vehicle lanes running from Russia to Kerch in occupied Crimea. Two two-lane vehicular spans of the bridge collapsed into the water. Two adjacent eastbound lanes on independent structure survived. The railway bridge was also significantly damaged by fire on railway tanker cars. Four people were killed.
The recent terrorist attack on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines was aimed at undermining the energy security of the entire continent, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
12 Oct 2022 - Putin says goal behind Nord Stream attack was to undermine continent’s energy security
Putin described the attack on the Nord Streams as "a most dangerous precedent." "It shows that any vital transport, energy or utility infrastructure is now in jeopardy regardless of where it is located or who operates it or whether those are subsea pipelines or ground-based ones."
12 Oct 2022 - King Charles mutters ‘dear oh dear’ as he greets Liz Truss for weekly audience
“Your Majesty, great to see you again,” she says.
King Charles, smiling, replies: “Back again?”
To which Ms Truss responded: “Well, it's a great pleasure.”
The King replies: “Dear, oh dear. Anyway.”
13 Oct 2022 - King Charles greets Liz Truss with: ‘Back again? Dear, oh dear’
Under-fire prime minister has awkward exchange with monarch at first weekly audience (video)
15 Oct 2022 - The priority must be stability and a strong focus on
...reducing energy costs and financial stewardship. Liz Truss made a tough call today but the duty of a PM has to be security - both economic and national.
17 Oct 2022 - Why wasn't Liz Truss in Parliament? Penny Mourdant denies PM was 'cowering under her desk' as she was missing from urgent question
17 Oct 2022 - UK and Swedish Air Forces conduct live air attack exercise Baltic Striker
The exercise was conducted as part of an effort to continue enhancing the JEF interoperability.
18 Oct 2022 - UK: Severed undersea cables near Shetland Islands
Ian Brown, a partner with Lerwick-based internet provider Shetland Broadband, said he became aware of a problem just after 00:00 on Thursday when his home broadband went off.
He said the north cable was broken on 15 October in a clean break, but the southern one was not a clean break because there are around 100 fibres in the cable - and not all had been broken.
18 Oct 2022 - Are sabotage of submarine pipelines an ‘armed attack’ triggering a right to self-defence?
A main difficulty in situations such as the damage on the NordStream pipelines, is that the State invoking the right to self-defence bears the burden of proving the facts showing the existence of such an attack against it by a particular State (International Court of Justice (‘ICJ’), Oil Platforms (2003), [51]). In this connection, generic announcements that an attack or other incident will take place prior to the explosions are insufficient evidence to support that any subsequent attack is the work of the State making such public statements (Oil Platforms, [60]).
An ‘Armed Attack’ against Whom? According to the ICJ in Military and Paramilitary Activities in and Against Nicaragua (1986) [191], as well as in Oil Platforms [51], an ‘armed attack’ involves ‘the most grave forms of the use of force’. ‘Other less grave forms’ of use of force do not meet this threshold. In Nicaragua, the Court had considered the distinction between an ‘armed attack’ and mere ‘frontier incidents’, and relied on the following criteria to draw this distinction: the ‘scale and effects’ of the attack [195], and the ‘circumstances and motivations’ of the attack [231]. The ‘scale and effects’ criterion is particularly relevant for assessing whether blowing-up major transboundary pipelines may constitute an ‘armed attack’.
However, whether attacks on pipelines on the continental shelf and the EEZ as well as on the high seas, would constitute ‘the most grave form’ of use of force qualifying as an ‘armed attack’ against a particular State (or States) is not straightforward.
Separately, although pipelines do not have flags, like vessels, they are owned and operated by companies incorporated in some State jurisdiction.
The question arises whether States in whose jurisdiction the company that owns and/operates the pipeline are incorporated may be the victim of an ‘armed attack’ against the pipeline, giving rise to its right to self-defence. In the case of NordStream, this would be Switzerland.
[M: The attacker KNEW very well the legal difference between the attack near the the CS and EEZ. There are important points WHY it was done there. One can find hint of who could be involved and why.]
Johannes Kidmose does not consider it improbable that an enemy vessel would be able to sabotage a submarine cable, internet cable, or gas pipeline on the bottom of the sea in Danish waters without anyone discovering it before the damage has been done.Danish frigates have no sonars on board and are thus blind to what is happening down in the depths of the sea.
[M: Is this the reason that on 22, 23, 24, 25 September the SWE navy was called in as their boats do have this capability? Could this be that DK has was somehow triggered by a submarine, asked SWE to investigate even later allowing it to access its territorial waters and so SWE navy switched off their transponders?]
A sonar networkFrom ships and shore stations all around the coast, the Danish Defence constantly scans the sea surface using coastal radars and other technologies. In addition, they use AIS signals to identify ships: According to the law, ships of a certain size must have a transponder on board, which transmits information about the ship’s name, position, etc.However, radar signals and radio waves do not work under the sea. But sonar does. The sonar sends out a sound, and with the help of the echo that returns, it can paint a picture of what is happening in the area.“Sonars are most accurate on a submarine if you need to examine the seabed. Those on-board ships are also more accurate than those dipped from a helicopter. On the other hand, the helicopter can get to get to the area where submarines are suspected the fastest, so that they don’t disappear in the meantime.
Sonars are most accurate on a submarine if you need to examine the seabed. Those on-board ships are also more accurate than those dipped from a helicopter. On the other hand, the helicopter can get to get to the area where submarines are suspected the fastest, so that they don’t disappear in the meantime.
[M: Would be great to check if there were any submarine helicopters in the area in that time]
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is on a hastily-arranged visit to Washington to talk with his counterpart and White House officials about "shared security concerns" including Ukraine and Russia, a source and an official said.
The secretive, last-minute nature of the trip and a comment by a second defence minister, James Heappey - who said the conversations that Mr Wallace would be having on Tuesday were "beyond belief" - suggested particularly sensitive and serious issues would be discussed.
However, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly this morning sought to play down the significance of the trip.
"He will be visiting his counterpart at the Pentagon and senior figures at the White House."
"My boss, Ben Wallace, is in Washington this morning having the sort of conversations that… beyond belief really the fact we are a time when these sort of conversations are necessary."
The defence secretary had been due to appear before a committee of MPs in London to discuss the UK, US and NATO on Tuesday but had to cancel.
[M: Him and Ben Wallace were only people Liz Truss has not changed in her cabinet. Both are my suspects.]
19 Oct 2022 - Special Relationship goes silent
Ben Wallace, the U.K. defence secretary, made a secretive trip to Washington on Tuesday, to discuss with the Biden administration Ukrainian matters that his deputy described as “beyond belief.”
20 Oct 2022 - Liz Truss spent final days as PM 'obsessed with weather amid Putin's nuclear threats'
Liz Truss became the shortest serving Prime Minister in British history but her final few days allegedly saw her focus on the weather as she feared of nuclear attack from Russia.
Liz Truss spent her final days of her historically ill-fated tenure as British Prime Minister "obsessed" with the weather forecast after Russia threatened the use of a nuclear weapon over the Black Sea.
Yesterday the UK sanctioned Iran for supplying Russia with drones used to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.This is just the latest example of how Russia threatens Ukraine’s energy security.The UK is helping countries reduce their dependency on Russia.
[M: How is Iran providing drones threat to Ukraines´s energy security_?]
"The military leaders both agreed on the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between the UK and Russia to manage the risk of miscalculation and to facilitate de-escalation."
The conversation followed the Defence Secretary’s call with his Russian counterpart yesterday and a call between the Foreign Ministers of France, the UK, and the USA last night.
...also spoke with his counterpart in the RU military, Gen. Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov, this weekend.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Sunday that Ukraine was planning a provocation with the use of a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using nuclear weapons and prompt Western countries to retaliate.
In a joint statement on Sunday, the US, France, and the UK rejected the Russian claims.
The statement said the defense ministers of the three nations spoke with Shoygu at his request, and they all rejected "Russia's transparently false allegations" that Kyiv will use the bomb as a provocation.
The UK needs a so-called specialised isostatic press to maintain its nuclear arsenal, which includes the Trident II D5, the Royal Navy's ballistic missile system with a range of over 4,000 nautical miles.Britain and Belgium are locking horns in a furious despite after Brussels blocked the export of nuclear technology that plays a crucial role in maintaining the UK's nuclear deterrent.
This kind of technology is used in the industry for handling radioactive waste and is a critical part of the manufacturing process in Britain’s Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, the site responsible for the design, manufacture and maintenance of the UK's nuclear warheads.
But Lars Nøhr-Nielsen has no doubts:“Those who have blown up these pipes have used an explosive charge that is more than sufficient. They most likely did not just want to blow a hole in the pipe, they wanted to make it unusable.”
Nord Stream 1’s major shareholder, with a 51% stake, is a subsidiary of Russian energy group Gazprom. This company is subject to US, UK, and Canada sanctions, as well as certain restrictions by the European Union.
Two sources claimed that renewal of Nord Stream 1 coverage by Lloyd’s syndicates could be difficult due to tighter sanctions against Gazprom. This would prevent claims from being paid.
Lawyers said that Nord Stream’s insurance companies will need to prove their policy doesn’t cover the damage from the blasts to avoid any claims.
A Western state actor could be held responsible for the damage, which might be classified as an act of terror. One source suggested that insurance might cover it.
If Russia is implicated, however, insurance companies could claim it was “self-sabotage” since Gazprom is state-owned.
[M: Note that all Western leaders started immediately claim that the act was a sabotage but not a state terrorism act! This implies that Western leaders KNEW exactly who has blown pipelines from early on]
27 Oct 2022 - Erik Andersson: This Sunday afternoon Oct 3 Russian ship Nefrit..
..scans an area about 1km wide with the Nordstream 1 rupture in the middle. (screenshot from Marine Traffic web site)
The Russian unit does not need to apply for permission from Stockholm to conduct its own operations.The pipeline operator, Nord Stream AG, said in a statement that the vessel would begin surveying the pipeline damage area within 24 hours. He will spend three to five days there.
[M: Could recent anchor marks be still visible to very sensitive equipment? Would it find divers equipment?]
Russia’s Defence Ministry claims that His Majesty’s Naval Service took part in today’s drone attack against Russia’s warships in Crimea’s Sevastopol, as well as the blowing up of the Nord Stream pipelines, the agency’s Telegram says.
As per the Defence Ministry’s theory, the preparation for the attack on the Black Sea fleet, which the agency labels as “a terrorist attack,” as well as the training for Ukraine’s servicemen was conducted by “British specialists, stationed in Ochakiv, the Mykolaiv region,” reads the statement.
“As per the information we have, the representatives of UK’s navy have also taken part in planning, supplying, and executing the terrorist attack in the Baltic Sea on 26 September when Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines exploded,” reads the statement.
“Representatives of this unit of the British Navy took part in the planning, provision, and implementation of a terrorist attack in the Baltic Sea on Sept. 26 that blew up the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.
[M: NY post does not repost which unit that is.]
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Tuesday urged the former UK prime minister to explain her message allegedly sent to the US secretary of state right after the accident at Nord Stream gas pipelines at the Baltic Sea."Honestly, I don't care who and how (they) got this information. I am interested in London's response to the following question: Did Britain's Prime Minister Liz Truss send a message to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken right after the explosion at Nord Stream gas pipeline with the words 'it's done?'," Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram.Zakharova added that "millions of people all over the world are waiting for an answer to this question," stressing that they "have the right to know what happened to the global energy security and what is the role of Anglo-Saxons in the committed terrorist attack."
In a British Parliamentary Deference Select Committee on the 2nd November, 2022, the UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, has been challenged for his failure to permit members of the Defence Select Committee access to UK Special Forces.In a heated exchanged, the Committee chair, Tobias Ellwood MP said that the UK Special Forces were not the best in the world ‘about scrutiny’, and that the Special Forces – including units such as the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Services (SBS) – were “not above scrutiny.”When asked if the Ministry of Defence could facilitate a visit to Hereford, home of the SAS, the Deference Minister said “no” and went on to argue that “this committee does not have oversight of Special Forces and its operations.”The chair of the Defence Committee disagreed, saying: “I’m sorry, we have oversight of the Armed Forces in the UK Defence.”Mr Wallace then said the Special Forces were very busy in operational work....Earlier this year, Action on Armed Violence raised concerns about a lack of parliamentary oversight of the UK’s Special Forces...
[M: Smoking gun? I would say so! Ben Wallace was my prime suspect of the team which was behind the Nordstream. It is up to official investigation to look into this. So far, it is still just a theory.]
UK PM Rishi Sunak runs off stage and is rushed out of the room. What‘s happening?
18 Nov 2022 - Sweden has found explosive Residue at Site of Nord Stream Leaks, Confirming Sabotage.
A Swedish prosecutor said Friday that explosions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline were the result of sabotage.
The UK needs a so-called specialised isostatic press to maintain its nuclear arsenal, which includes the Trident II D5, the Royal Navy's ballistic missile system with a range of over 4,000 nautical miles.
Britain and Belgium are locking horns in a furious despite after Brussels blocked the export of nuclear technology that plays a crucial role in maintaining the UK's nuclear deterrent...
The UK’s independent nuclear deterrent has existed for over 60 years and is constantly deployed at sea in atomic-powered ballistic missile submarines. These include the HMS Vanguard, HMS Victorious, HMS Vigilant and HMS Vengeance.
28 Nov 2022 - Number of US submarines off UK's coast have DOUBLED this year as NATO allies send a message of strength to Russian menace Vladimir Putin
Double usual number of Nato submarines are moving near Faslane naval base
Follows severing of major underwater internet cables near Shetland last month
Sightings so far this year stand at 85 compared with 43 for the whole of 2021, and include a string of America’s most advanced Virginia-class fast-attack submarines.
Yesterday, former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe said the increased visibility of America’s most advanced submarine on the Clyde – 23 sightings this year against 13 in 2021 – was a clear message to saboteurs.
Sightings of the Royal Navy’s Trident-carrying Vanguard-class subs, plus its Astute attack subs, have also shot up, with 48 this year compared with 21 in 2021.
12 Dec 2022 - British foreign policy and diplomacy: Foreign Secretary's speech, 12 December 2022
Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, gave a speech at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office setting out his vision for UK foreign policy.
...reliable, trustworthy and long term partner...
And we will offer a reliable source of infrastructure investment through the British Investment Partnerships, through UK Export Finance, and through the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure. We’ve got the message and we know that resources need to flow more quickly from these initiatives into real projects on the ground.
12 Dec 2022 - NATO's Stoltenberg will not seek another extension of his term, spokesperson says
list, list of serving officers RN
Twenty-seven sailors, Royal Marines and Reservists from across the spectrum of command, leadership and branches have been singled out in the King’s first New Year’s Honours list.They have been rewarded for efforts and contributions above the regular call of duty in the Service, from playing key roles in major international deployments,...
[M: Is this a key evidence or not? No info about the type, amount, etc. to public.]
2023
13 Jan 2023 - Britain is a net electricity exporter for first time in 44 years
13 Jan 2023 - UK energy exports rise to meet European demand
21 Jan 2023 - Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Boris Johnson
26 Jan 2023 - Volodymyr Zelensky Says It Would Be A 'Pleasure' If Boris Johnson Was Ambassador To Ukraine
7 Feb 2023 - Rishi Sunak waves goodbye to Boris Johnson’s Global Britain eraRishi Sunak’s decision to merge the trade and business departments signals a technocrat’s approach to selling UK plc.
Richard G. Whitman reflects on UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s speech on 12 November, highlighting the absence of the previously ubiquitous phrase ‘Global Britain’ and examining what this might suggest about the Sunak government’s approach to foreign policy.
One of the catchiest lines in the speech was that “Britain has agency Britain has influence, Britain has leverage and it is my job to use it.
It was a speech, however, also noteworthy for its omissions. No mention of the ‘network of liberty’ idea that was the project of Liz Truss, Cleverly’s predecessor as Foreign Secretary. It was also notable for not using the phrase ‘Global Britain’, which has been an important mantra for UK governments after Brexit.
Dropping ‘Global Britain’ into speeches, statements and the title of government reports on Britain’s place in the world has been obligatory since first appearing in (then) Prime Minister Theresa May’s speech to the Conservative Party conference in October 2016.
Liz Truss, first as Secretary of State for International Trade and then Foreign Secretary, enthusiastically embraced the idea of Global Britain as a synonym for a UK with greater international ambition than it had demonstrated as an EU member state.
It was less embraced less by the UK Treasury in its messaging and Chancellor Sunak deployed ‘Global Britain’ less frequently than his colleagues in the major offices of state.
Mention of ‘Global Britain’ was also absent from Sunak’s first set piece foreign policy speech as Prime Minister at the Lord Mayor’s banquet on 28 November.
23 March 2023 - The Struggle to Achieve Global BritainContrast this to the speech given on the same occasion by Prime Minister Johnson in November 2021 with its illustrations of “Global Britain in action”.
25 March 2023 - London's attempts to implement ‘Global Britain’ concept failed, says Russian ambassadorWhen Westminster withdrew the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU), it promised that Britain would have global reach.No longer would it be constrained by EU bureaucracy; it could expand its trade, political and security relations beyond the European continent.
The challenge was huge, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson reminded voters of a glorious national past and raised hope that freedom from the EU could achieve commercial, political and security ambitions throughout the world.
The struggle to achieve Global Britain is hobbled by the UK’s poor economic performance, justifiably attributed to the pandemic, Ukraine war and fallout from Brexit. The aspiration for greatness, however, remains. Trade agreements with Canada, Japan and across the Pacific raise hopes that the dream can be realized. Strong military support for Ukraine has demonstrated that Britain can show leadership, and Ukraine President Zelensky’s recent visit to London before flying to Brussels was interpreted as recognition of Britain’s considerable defense contributions.
How is the current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak continuing PM Johnson’s struggle for greatness?
LONDON, March 25. /TASS/. London's attempts to implement the concept of ‘Global Britain’ after leaving the European Union have failed, Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin told TASS."After Brexit, <…> the concept of Global Britain appeared," the ambassador recalled. He explained that London saw the concept in such a way that the country "would go around the world, making new arrangements, improving the trade base, benefiting from it and prospering.""All that has failed. The UK has neither the strength nor the capability. Neither economic nor political. And now another concept has been adopted: the need to establish long-term relations with promising medium-sized countries. [Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs] James Cleverly and the government are working in this direction, but in small steps," Kelin noted.
[M: The reason is bullying, unrelated to Nordstream affair, he is a suspect of my investigation]
Because the truth matters.
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The EU went to the United States when Trump was President and described itself as 'the world's only credible superpower'
ReplyDeleteFollowing the 2016 Brexit referendum, the EU threatened the UK with 'consequences' and has been engaged in economic warfare against Britain ever since so it rejoins the EU.
The EU represents a threat to the United States position as the world's only superpower (see Wolfowitz doctrine) and a threat to the security and sovereignty of the UK.
The EU is a continuation of Germany by other means. The fears expressed before German reunification are coming to fruition. Destroying the German economy by taking out its source of power also means the end of the EU and eliminates the treat the EU poses to both the US and UK
But good luck with your criminal case against the UK. Back in 2016 when the EU threatened Britain with 'consequences' I would have sent fighter bombers to Brussels to buzz the EU parliament and send a message to the EU commission saying next time they turn up they'll do more than put on an aerobatic show for the kids. Good luck keeping warm next winter
ReplyDeleteHello Mort, it appears I got booted from Twitter. It says I am over my daily allowances of tweets, but I have not tweeted once today. Must be posting too many Belarusian news sites. Holy smokes with the Hirsh article. I am still partial to your explanation, especially with how Truss acted. Two things I can not still completely discard, 1) Biden said on TV that he was going to kill Nordstream, and 2) Putin said to look at who is profiting.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, do you think Hirsh has any inside sources? A man of his stature may have direct communication with policy makers?
Thanks for all the great work.... it says alot..
ReplyDeleteAnd it looks like the UK is a mennes to Europe, and still wants to rule the EU after it left with there divide and empire, instead of solving its own problems...
We will know for sure when investigations are concluded.
ReplyDeleteAn exhaustive, comprehensive statement of the facts known to us so far and a lot of effort to put it together. This should be read by everyone.
ReplyDeleteHi Ch.B, Thank you for encouraging words.
DeleteThe cat is out of the bag. The Nordstream Affair will blow up in the face. People leak. I keep updating many posts simultaneously, it is a job in progress, sorry for the formatting and stuff, focusing on content.
I added much into a post about Boris Johnson and the one about UK gov does not like NS - many Twitter official statements. Also added post Operation Tapestry and UK-FRA relationship.
So much to do! Then GER-UK and NOR-UK relationship around 26-09-2022 and EU response, then again going through posts again because once I do I see new revelations.
The more I read the more I see how top leaders KNEW early on who was it but it is kept as a secret.