I. Ukraine & Ukrainian officials talking about the Nordstream
6 June 2021 - Exclusive: Zelensky "surprised" and "disappointed" by Biden pipeline move
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he learned through the press — not any direct heads-up — that President Biden had decided to stop trying to block a Russian pipeline that Ukraine sees as a dire national security threat.
Driving the news: Zelensky used an hourlong Zoom interview with Axios on Friday to beseech Biden to meet with him face to face before a June 16 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin — offering to join him "at any moment and at any spot on the planet."
The embattled leader spoke of Putin's psychological pressure campaign; his own anger-turned-disappointment at the U.S.; and his hope that Biden, whom he compares to basketball great Michael Jordan, can still outmaneuver Russia and rescue Ukraine.
[M: A must read article describing the US - GER - UA views]
14 June 2021 - Volodymyr Zelensky tells Boris Johnson Nord Stream 2 commissioning by Russia "unacceptable"
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky says the Nord Stream 2 project is a challenge to Ukraine in the field of security, noting that the commissioning of the new pipeline bypassing Ukraine would be "unacceptable."
During the call, Zelensky raised the issue of counteracting the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project, which he said is "a security challenge for Ukraine," according to the President's Office.
The president stressed the importance of further cooperation with the United Kingdom in the field of developing Ukraine's defense capabilities and strengthening the Ukrainian fleet.
[M: UK government official´s statements before summer 2021 are listed here]
22 August 2021 - Nord Stream 2 'dangerous geopolitical weapon': Zelensky
Kiev sees the soon-to-be completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline carrying Russian gas to Europe and bypassing Ukraine as "a dangerous geopolitical weapon", President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday.
The Ukrainian leader was speaking at a joint press conference in Kiev with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has spearheaded the pipeline fiercely opposed by Russian neighbours Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states.
The $12-billion pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea is set to double Russian natural gas shipments to Germany, Europe's largest economy. It avoids Ukraine, depriving Kiev of essential gas transit fees.
[M: Yearly transit fees are around € 2 Billion]
Merkel said the Germany-US agreement specifies "sanctions" if gas is "used as a weapon".
23 Sept 2021 - Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Boris Johnson discussed further steps to enhance strategic partnership between Ukraine and Great Britain
The parties discussed cooperation in the field of energy, in particular nuclear energy, and challenges for the European region due to the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project. The President of Ukraine stressed that this project is a geopolitical weapon of Russia.
12 Nov 2021 - Ukraine publicly pleads with U.S. Senate to sanction Putin's pipeline
"Blackmailing Europe over gas must be stopped forever," Zelensky tweeted on Friday. "We're grateful to the House for including an #NDAA amendment that will stop Nord Stream 2. Asking all friends of and in the US Senate to now back this amendment at the Senate level."
18 Nov 2021 - Nord Stream 2: Will you go to the Gazprom with me?
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that “a choice is shortly coming” for Europe, between consuming more Russian fossil fuels or “sticking up for Ukraine and championing the cause of peace and stability”.
[M: Signing of 10 Nov 2022 - U.S.-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership - The USA confirmed that it will help Ukraine to regain control over its East provinces and Crimea and help it to join North Atlantic structures without naming them. Signing of the charter has triggered Russia to move armies toward Ukrainian border. The conflict was inevitable.]
30 Nov 2021 - Liz Truss urges NATO allies to block Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
It remains to be seen how far the UK can push its opposition to Nord Stream 2 but the prime minister, Boris Johnson, raised the issue’s profile in a foreign policy speech at the Guildhall this month, saying: “We hope that our friends may recognise that a choice is shortly coming between mainlining ever more Russian hydrocarbons in giant new pipelines, and sticking up for Ukraine and championing the cause of peace and stability.”
30 Nov 2021 - Russia will pay the price if it invades Ukraine:
Foreign Secretary LIZ TRUSS underlines her determination to stand up to Vladimir Putin
8 Dec 2021 - Liz Truss: Europe needs to end energy dependency on Russia, says UK foreign minister
British foreign minister Liz Truss said on Wednesday Europe would become increasingly hooked on Russian gas if Moscow got its way and it was time for countries to end that dependency.
“The EU (European Union) relies on Russia for over 40% of its gas, and with some countries Russia has a complete monopoly of supply. If Russia gets its way, Europe will be increasingly hooked on its gas,” Truss told the Chatham House think tank.
“We have to end this strategic dependency,” she said, adding she would meet her Ukrainian counterpart on Wednesday to strengthen their ties and repeat the message that any Russian incursion into Ukraine would be a mistake.
Germany has agreed to take action if Russia uses energy as a weapon in its relations with Ukraine, but the deal does not provide a specific criteria for how that would be judged.
11 Dec 2021 - UK seeks unity at G7 meeting over Russia’s ‘malign behaviour’
Getting a unified response from the G-7, a group of countries with disparate interests, has often proved tough. Germany plans on getting gas from Russia soon through the contentious Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which bypasses Ukraine. Britain, which is not dependent on Russian gas, generally takes a tougher line on the pipeline — but faces tough questions about London’s financial district and property market, both hubs for Russian money.Truss said she wanted to work with other countries “to make sure that free democratic nations are able to have an alternative to Russian gas supplies.”She met on the sidelines of the gathering with Germany’s new foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, a politician from the environmentalist Greens who previously opposed Nord Stream 2.
17 Dec 2021 - Zelensky, Johnson discuss energy security issues, situation in Donbas
Later, the President's Office of Ukraine said on its website that Johnson and Zelensky expressed a common position on the inadmissibility of using the Nord Stream 2 project as a weapon.
6 Jan 2022 - U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss Announces Kyiv Visit, Says Russia's Only Path Forward Is De-Escalation With Ukraine
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.
6 February 2022 - British Elite Troops Sent to Ukraine Amid Fears of Russian Invasion
More than 100 members of Britain’s elite special forces have been sent to Ukraine amid fears a Russian invasion is imminent. The specialist forces are believed to be helping train Ukrainian special forces in counter-insurgency tactics, sniping and sabotage
Crack troops from the SAS, the SBS, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support group are understood to be working in the country as military advisers
British special forces have been able to deploy such a large number to the region as they are no longer operating in Afghanistan.
Although the SAS and SBS are still in Syria and Iraq, the numbers of troops there are believed to be relatively small.
As BBC reported earlier, the SAS and other UK Special Forces (UKSF) were poised to receive a new mission countering Russian and other forces around the world.
The plan was called 'Special Operations Concept' and has been drawn up by the senior officer in charge of the special forces, the Director Special Forces (DSF).
The new missions would take UKSF units in a less "kinetic" or violent direction and into closer cooperation with allied intelligence agencies and MI6.
There are three main elements of the UK's Special Forces: the regular Special Air Service regiment (22 SAS), the Special Boat Service (SBS), and Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR).
The role of the SRR, which carried out covert surveillance, would grow under the Special Operations Concept – stated in the BBC’s report.
7 Feb 2022 - UK sends more than 100 SAS and SBS special boat services 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
14 Feb 2022 - Russia using Nord Stream 2 as ‘geopolitical weapon’, Zelensky warns Germany’s Scholz
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday told Germany’s visiting Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Russia was wielding its Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as a “geopolitical weapon”.
US President Joe Biden has warned that he would find a way to “bring an end” to the project should Russia invade Ukraine.
[M: Again, Biden speaks about Nord Stream 2, not both projects. The breakdown of data about US involvement in the affair is in a separate post here]
[M: UK government official´s statements post summer 2021 are listed here]
II. In the war
March 2022 - Geopolitical implications of Nord Stream 2 - UK Parliament
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.
[M: The Nordstream AG (1,2) are the only private RU pipelines incorporated in Switzerland. Yamal through Belarus is sanctioned by Poland, one out of two pipelines through Ukraine is also closed by Ukraine which leaves only the 1 pipeline to NW Europe. TurkStream is serving more southern European markets. If Nordstream is taken down gas must flow through Ukraine. Interesting that such information about how much Ukraine gets in fees is on UK government web.]
28 March 2022 - Zelensky ranks which countries are helping Ukraine most as he praises Boris Johnson but rebukes Macron
5 May 2022 - A very strange message to Boris Johnson and V. Zelenski appeared o Twitter:
17 June 2022 - UK PM makes second trip to Kyiv — as it happened
22 July 2022 - Ukrainian Navy training in Britain
17 July 2022 - Boris Johnson gives Churchill award to Ukraine's Zelenskyy
20 July 2022 - International partners of Ukraine in the G7 and Paris Club announce suspension of debt service payments for Ukraine
On July 20, a group of creditors of Ukraine from G7 countries and Paris club members (the “Group of Creditors”) announced their intention to suspend principal and interest payments on bilateral debts from 1 August 2022 until the end of the year 2023, with the possibility to extend the suspension by an additional year.
25 July 2022 - Meet Elite British Commandos – The SBS – That ‘Helped’ Ukraine To Snatch Back Snake Island From Russia
According to reports, the Royal Navy’s Special Boat Service taught the troops how to operate underwater vehicles. The vehicles, often called sea scooters or diver propulsion devices, are made to carry frogmen from a combat swimmer unit or naval Special Forces over great distances underwater.
Diver Propulsion Vehicles are helpful for long journeys at a constant depth where navigation is easy. It allows the delivery of combat divers and their equipment over distances or at speeds that would be otherwise impracticable.
It has been revealed that the Special Boat Service from Dorset traveled to the conflict-torn Ukraine to instruct the 73rd Naval Special Purpose Center there.
According to a Sunday Mirror report, the 73rd became the sword’s tip and provided the fighting force that landed on the island. “The Ukrainian special forces are as fierce as they come, but they lack our specialized equipment and instruction,” the report said.
According to British media reports, the Ukrainian combat divers surveyed the coastline for explosives with assistance from the British Navy before signaling for the main force to attack the Russian position.
The United Kingdom has undoubtedly been one of the most ardent supporters of Ukraine, supplying military and non-military aid in billions of dollars. However, the role of its Special Boat Service (SBS), now in the limelight, has proved to be the most decisive for Ukraine yet fatal for the Russians.
27 August 2022 - The UK drones for Ukraine
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..
[M: Compare these sparse comments against UK rhetoric, policies and strategies against Nordstream 1, 2 and all Russian hydrocarbons - Post here]
III. Did Zelenski know something about attack on Nordstream?
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.
Russia switches off Europe’s main gas pipeline until sanctions are liftedRussia’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? Post here]
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
[M: The post about Liz Truss during her region as UK Prime Minister is here]
NEWS
13 Sep 2022 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has met in Kyiv with Defense Ministers Morten Bodskov of Denmark and Hanno Pevkur of Estonia.
13 Sep 2022 - Denmark says it will host training of Ukrainian soldiers
COPENHAGEN: Denmark has agreed to train Ukrainian soldiers on Danish soil, Ritzau news agency quoted Defence Minister Morten Bodskov as saying after a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart in Kyiv on Tuesday.
14 Sep 2022 - Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Yesterday, I was in Kyiv to present recommendations on security guarantees to President @ZelenskyyUa. Ukraine is showing that with the necessary resources, it is more than a match for Russia on the battlefield. Now Ukraine's allies must step up for the long-term.
14 Sep 2022 - Statement by Group of Creditors of Ukraine
Finally, the Group strongly encourages all other official bilateral creditors to swiftly reach
agreement with Ukraine on a debt service suspension.
We will continue to closely coordinate and assess the situation with the support of the IMF and the World Bank.
Background note: The Group of Creditors of Ukraine includes Canada, France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Observers to the Group include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Ukraine has accepted Denmark's offer to train Ukrainian soldiers on Danish soil. The Minister of Defence of Denmark, Morten Bødskov, announced this during his visit to Kyiv
19 Sep 2022 - President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Minister of Defense of Denmark Morten Bødskov and Minister of Defense of Estonia Hanno Pevkur.
19 Sep 2022 - Minister of Defence of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov met with Minister of Defence of Denmark Morten Bødskov who headed the Danish delegation on a visit to Kyiv.
IV. United Nations General Assembly
20 Sep 2022 - Liz Truss lands in US to reset ‘special relationship’ on first foreign trip as PM
“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.”
She will also tell fellow leaders that they must put an end to Putin’s economic blackmail by removing all energy dependence on Russia.
“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.”
21 Sept 2022 - UK Prime Minister Truss addresses the United Nations General Assembly (transcript here)
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.""We will ensure we cannot be coerced or harmed by the reckless actions of rogue actors abroad."
"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."
We are fortifying our deep security alliances in Europe and beyond through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force.
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.
22 Sept 2022 - Speech by the President of Ukraine at the General Debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly
[M: there is barely much about the RU energy, compare to Liz Truss cancelling pipelines of authoritarian regimes]
22 Sept 2022 - Zelensky meets with European Commission head in New York
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in New York, and stressed the importance of strategic dialogue on energy security.
“I thanked von der Leyen for the participation of the EU in the Crimea Platform Summit at the highest level & the allocation of a macro-financial aid tranche. Discussed preparations for the Ukraine-EU Summit on Oct 12. Stressed the importance of strategic dialogue on the EU energy security,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter.
[M: The more interesting happening around Liz Truss and her statements is in a separate posts here and here and here]
26 Sept 2022 - Time Magazine Dedicated Its Cover And Article To Valeriy Zaluzhny
V. From Nordstream affair onward
27 Sept 2022 - Denmark, Sweden view Nord Stream leaks as 'sabotage'
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.]
27 Sept 2022 - Ukraine, Podolyak: Gas Leaks on Nord Stream 1 Pipeline is Russia’s Terrorist Attac
“ ‘Gas leak’ from NS-1 is nothing more that a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression towards EU. Russia wants to destabilize economic situation in Europe and cause pre-winter panic. The best response and security investment – tanks for Ukraine. Especially German ones…,” Podolyak wrote.
[M: The Ukrainian statement that it is a Russian terrorist act is in contradiction to EU sabotage framing. This "kind of" excludes Ukraine as a suspect. /deductive-logical.]
27 Sept 2022 - NATO Secretary General at EU Parliament: stay the course on Ukraine
[M: The post about who tried to frame the affair as a "sabotage" aand changed the perception from a more serious classification of "armored attack / terrorist act" is here. Note that Ukraine tried first to have similar "more harsh" classification as "terrorist act" but later changed it to be along Europeand and USA view to just a "sabotage". Important post about this phenomena is here and here]
VI. The Bridge
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.
VII. Afterwards
21 Jan 2023 - Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Boris Johnson
23 Jan 2023 - Volodymyr Zelensky Says It Would Be A 'Pleasure' If Boris Johnson Was Amabassador To Ukraine
"He is a good guy," the Ukrainian president said.
His comments, in an interview with Sky News, came just days after Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv.
25 Jan 2023 - Boris Johnson visits Kyiv, pledges help
26 Jan 2023 - Volodymyr Zelensky Says It Would Be A 'Pleasure' If Boris Johnson Was Ambassador To Ukraine
[M: In another news, the destruction of Nordstream forces Russia to use Ukrainian pipeline so Ukraine will get transfer fees which make some 3% of UA GDP according to UK study]
23 May 2022 - In Dallas, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson calls for Ukraine support
‘I’m here to say thanks, but also stick with it,’ Johnson said during a stop at The Dallas Morning News’ editorial board.
VIII. Two insurance exclusion caluses
When the case is defined as a self-sabotage (Russia was behind the Nordstream) or an act of war (Ukraine was behind the Nordstream) then the insurance claim is not possible.
[M: More about the insurance in a separate post here]
IX. Anglo Saxons... -> see here
Summary...
17 March 2023 - Debt service suspension for Ukraine extended until 2027
At a virtual meeting held on 14 September 2022, Germany joined other official bilateral creditors and the government of Ukraine in concluding a Memorandum of Understanding to provide coordinated debt service suspension for Ukraine. Under the Memorandum, Ukraine’s payment obligations will be suspended until the end of 2023. On 24 March 2023, the Group of Creditors extended the existing debt service suspension until 2027. In addition, the Group will carry out a comprehensive debt restructuring in order to restore Ukraine’s debt sustainability. These steps are preconditions for an IMF programme, which Germany is advocating.
Fitch Ratings downgraded Ukraine’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency (LT FC) Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘RD’ (restricted default) in August 2022, due to a two-year deferral on Eurobond payments, which constitutes a distressed debt exchange (DDE). Since the completion of the DDE, which cured the default, Fitch has upgraded and maintained the LT FC IDR at ‘CC’, reflecting the probability of further restructuring of both official bilateral and commercial debt. Recent developments are consistent with this view, most notably the IMF analysis underpinning the four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) approved at end-March 2023. The analysis incorporates the Group of Creditors for Ukraine (GCU) commitment to a three-year extension to end-2026 of the standstill on official sector payments, and signalled intent of the Ukrainian authorities to seek comparability of treatment with commercial debt.
