The ‘Nord Stream Theory’ Gains Traction in the Media

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the theory – some would say ‘conspiracy theory’ – that the U.S. provoked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to sabotage Nord Stream 2. I said that although there is circumstantial evidence, there isn’t any direct evidence, “so for the time being it should be regarded with appropriate scepticism”.

Since my article was published, the ‘Nord Stream theory’ has been covered in at least two other places.

On September 15th, Sohrab Ahmari posted a brief interview he’d done with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Discussing the Western response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ahmari writes:

Is the United States really prepared to see Europe turn itself into an energy and economic basket case for no tangible gains against Moscow? … The most cynical Hungarian answer is that that is exactly what Washington wants to bring about: to downgrade German manufactures and sever the energy-manufacturing synergy between Russia and Germany, to end Europe’s aspirations to “strategic autonomy” and induce a total dependence on America.

These are Ahmari’s words, not Orbán’s. But they appear to be based on a conversation that took place between the two.

Then on October 11th, Thomas Fazi wrote a piece for UnHerd where he discusses the theory at length. He makes many of the points I made in my Daily Sceptic article, as well as several others that are of interest. Fazi quotes the American geostrategist George Friedman, who said the following in 2015:

The overriding interest of the United States, for which we have fought wars for centuries – the First, Second and Cold War – has been the relationship between Germany and Russia, because united there they are the only force that could threaten us. And we need to make sure that doesn’t happen.

The theory is still far from proven, but Ahmari and Fazi’s articles are worth reading in full.