Europe and Primarily Germany Will Suffer From the Ukrainian Crisis
(Translated)

On Tuesday, February 23, 2022, Biden announced a package of sanctions affecting some officials in the Russian government, and the US Secretary of State, Blinken, said in his press conference today that Germany's decisive and rapid action regarding Nord Stream-2 came as a result of coordination and consultation, and Biden described this step as important in response for what Russia has done.

There is no doubt that the Ukraine crisis during the past weeks has many dimensions, including what is internal and regional related to the demographic structure of Ukraine and the strategic depth of Russia, but its international dimensions are the most sensitive and important for America and Europe. Perhaps the American focus through Biden and his foreign minister's words on the gas liquefaction pipeline from Russia to Europe, especially Germany, marked by Nord Stream-2, indicates a special importance for this project, which America has always tried to obstruct, not to deprive Russia of an important source of income, but to deprive Germany in particular and Europe in general from relying on energy sources that are not directly under the American control. Mike Whitney, writer for the Eurasia online Newspaper, commented, “The Ukrainian crisis has nothing to do with Ukraine. It’s about Germany and, in particular, a pipeline that connects Germany to Russia called Nord Stream 2.” George Friedman, CEO of Stratfor, explained this relationship to the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs by saying, “The primal interest of the U.S., what we fought the wars for centuries – World War I, World War II, and the Cold War – was the relationship between Germany and Russia. Because united, they are the only power that can threaten us, and our interest was to make sure that didn’t happen.” From here we can understand why and how Washington considers this Nord Stream-2 pipeline a threat to its interests and priorities in Europe. It did not neglect any opportunity in attempt to obstruct the progress of the project. Nevertheless, Nord Stream-2 continued, and it is ready to go. Putin in his meeting with German Chancellor Scholz pointed out the importance of Nord Stream-2 and its centrality in the current crisis, when he said: "If work on the Nord Stream-2 project stops, German citizens must search their financial portfolios for five times the prices of energy coming from other sources." From here it can be understood what Biden waged, according to what was reported by the BBC channel on February 7, 2022, saying: “Biden threatens to close Nord Stream-2 if Russia invades Ukraine. Russia invades Ukraine or cuts off two republics from it, and America in return shuts down the gas pipeline. The crisis results in a reward for Russia by deducting a large part of Ukraine and a punishment for Germany by depriving it of an energy source that is cheap and less harmful than the oil flowing from sources subject to American control”. Biden, "if Russia invades... again, then there will be longer Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it."

US Journalist Mike Whitney continues to comment on the importance of the Russian gas pipeline by saying: “the US Foreign Policy establishment is not happy about these developments. They don’t want Germany to become more dependent on Russian gas because commerce builds trust and trust leads to the expansion of trade. As relations grow warmer, more trade barriers are lifted, regulations are eased, travel and tourism increase, and new security architecture evolves. In a world where Germany and Russia are friends and trading partners, there is no need for US military bases, no need for expensive US-made weapons and missile systems, and no need for NATO.”

There is also no need to deal with energy deals in US dollars, or hoard US Treasuries to balance the accounts. It becomes possible to complete transactions between business partners directly, and in their own currencies, and this contributes to a significant decrease in the value of the dollar, and a significant shift in economic power. This is the main reason for the Biden administration's opposition to the Nord Stream-2 project. It is not just a pipeline; it is a window into the future, a future in which Europe and Asia will come together in a huge free trade area that will increase their mutual strength and common prosperity. It is a future in which the United States becomes alienated and frustrated. Warmer relations between Germany and Russia will serve as an “indicator” to the end of the “unipolar world order” that has been led by the United States over the past long years.” The former US National Security Adviser under Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski, pointed out the danger of the emergence of a Eurasian power under the name Eurasia, and repeatedly warned America of the danger of the emergence of such a new global alliance.

Perhaps this is why Washington was determined to do everything in its power to destroy Nord Stream-2 and keep Germany in its orbit, and perhaps this is what prompted US Secretary of State Blinken to describe the German decision as decisive and swift. The Ukraine crisis provided a golden opportunity to blow up Nord Stream-2 and to return Germany and, behind it, Europe to the first square that was built in the wake of World War II. It was not difficult for international media such as Al-Jazeera, CNN and BBC to summarize Blinken's press conference immediately after its conclusion as “the gas war the most prominent title of the repercussions of the Ukrainian crisis between Russia and the West.”

The US strategy in this crisis was based on creating a perception that Russia poses a security threat to Europe. However, the real target is not Russia, but Germany and, behind it, Europe. This is confirmed by Michael Hudson, in an article entitled “America’s real adversaries are its European and other allies,” in which he stated: “The only way left for U.S. diplomats to block European purchases is to goad Russia into a military response and then claim that avenging this response outweighs any purely national economic interest. As hawkish Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, explained in a State Department press briefing on January 27: “If Russia invades Ukraine one way or another Nord Stream 2 will not move forward.” The problem is to create a suitably offensive incident and depict Russia as the aggressor.

This means that Biden's team wants to “urge Russia to commit military action in order to sabotage Nord Stream-2.” And this is exactly what happened. The crisis escalated to its highest levels until Putin announced the separation of districts in eastern Ukraine and their military protection, so Germany rushed to stop the Nord Stream-2 project, declaring its surrender to America’s unbridled desire to keep Germany and Europe under the cold mantle of America.

In conclusion, the world will not be stable, security will not be established, and global peace will not be achieved as long as the global system is dominated by rabid wolves who do not value any value other than their immediate benefit, and they have no god but their whims. Allah (swt) said:

(أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلاً) “Have you seen ˹O Prophet˺ the one who has taken their own desires as their god? Will you then be a keeper over them?” [TMQ Al-Furqan: 43].

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Dr. Mohammad Jilani