Who Blew Up the Nord Stream? Russia, U.S., or Ukraine? Winter Is Coming

(Feat. Europe, EU, German, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Natural Gas Pipeline, Energy War, Price, Inflation, Latest Updates)

A mysterious explosion in September 2022 destroyed one of Europe’s most critical gas pipelines, sparking global intrigue. Was it the U.S., Russia, Ukraine—or a bold geopolitical move no one saw coming? With Trump back in power and winter coming, the Nord Stream sabotage is more relevant than ever. The stakes have never been higher—uncover the truth behind the event that reshaped energy politics forever.

1. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, running from Russia through the depths of the Baltic Sea, were blown up in September 2022. Since then, they remain unusable.

2. The fact that three sections were damaged in succession makes it clear this wasn’t a malfunction.

3. When the pipelines exploded, the immediate question was, “Who benefits most from this?” Initially, speculation pointed toward the U.S.

4. A former Polish prime minister even tweeted, “Thank you, USA,” referencing how the U.S. had long opposed Nord Stream.

5. Germany, under former Chancellor Angela Merkel, had been shutting down its nuclear power plants—17 reactors were decommissioned by 2022. To compensate for the energy gap, Germany increased its reliance on Russian natural gas.

6. This led to the construction of natural gas pipelines between Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea.

7. The massive Nord Stream project had a budget of $22 billion and promised to meet 75% of Germany’s natural gas needs.

8. This project became Nord Stream 2.

9. But Nord Stream 2 was seen as a threat to U.S. energy ambitions.

10. Around the same time, the U.S. experienced a shale gas boom, turning from a natural gas importer into a major exporter.

11. The U.S. began converting 12 LNG (liquefied natural gas) import terminals into export facilities, completing them one by one.

12. The U.S. was frustrated that Germany, instead of buying American LNG, was doubling down on Russian gas with Nord Stream 2.

13. Furthermore, Nord Stream 2’s capacity exceeded Germany’s own needs, allowing Germany to resell surplus gas to other European countries.

14. In December 2019, President Trump accused Germany of freeloading on U.S. security while making itself dependent on Russian energy. He signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, sanctioning companies involved with Nord Stream 2.

15. Given U.S. opposition, it wasn’t far-fetched to wonder if the U.S. might have been involved in the pipeline’s destruction.

16. Another suspect was Russia staging the incident itself.

17. At the time of the explosions, natural gas prices were dropping, putting financial pressure on Russia.

18. Germany had been stockpiling gas faster than expected, contributing to the price decline.

19. By November 2022, Germany had filled over 95% of its storage facilities—well above the 90% target needed for the winter.

20. While Germany’s storage tanks were full, Russia faced challenges storing unsold gas and resorted to flaring it off.

21. Satellite images revealed Russian gas fields burning excess natural gas due to lack of storage.

22. Shutting down production wasn’t an option, as restarting gas fields is technically complex. So, Russia kept pumping gas and simply burned the excess.

23. With no LNG terminals, how did Germany manage to quickly stockpile gas without relying on Russia?

24. The answer lay in a U.S.-UK collaboration.

25. While Russian gas flows directly through pipelines, the U.S. must ship LNG to Europe via the Atlantic.

26. However, Germany lacked LNG terminals to convert liquefied gas back into a usable state.

27. This initially made U.S. gas impractical for Germany.

28. Enter the UK as a key player.

29. The UK had been receiving Russian natural gas via pipelines from Germany and France.

30. Thanks to Qatar’s LNG supply, the UK already had three operational LNG terminals.

31. These terminals began operating at full capacity to assist Germany.

32. U.S. LNG was first shipped to the UK. The UK then re-gasified it and sent it to Germany via pipelines, accelerating Germany’s gas storage efforts.

33. This is why the UK replaced Turkey as the largest importer of U.S. LNG in 2022.

34. Below is a chart showing Germany’s natural gas import prices.

35. While Germany succeeded in filling its storage tanks, it had to pay higher prices for U.S. LNG compared to cheaper Russian gas.

36. The fact that U.S. gas reached Germany through the UK likely caught Putin off guard.

37. To drive up prices, reducing supply or increasing demand is key. Eliminating excess supply would ensure prices rise faster.

38. Nord Stream 2 was brand new but had never delivered gas.

39. Even Nord Stream 1 wasn’t running at full capacity before the explosion.

40. Europe still had alternative pipelines, like Northern Lights (via Poland) and Brotherhood (via Ukraine).

41. These pipelines could maintain some supply levels, and higher spot market prices for gas weren’t necessarily bad for Russia.

42. That said, Russia could have simply turned off the valves to restrict supply. Blowing up the pipeline wasn’t necessary.

43. This makes Russia a less likely suspect.

44. There’s one more possible culprit.

45. Ukraine is worth considering.

46. Russia built Nord Stream to bypass Ukraine, reducing Ukraine’s leverage as a transit country for gas headed to Europe.

47. Russia also developed the TurkStream pipeline in the south as part of this strategy.

48. A disabled Nord Stream pipeline increases the importance of pipelines running through Ukraine.

Latest Updates:

50. A book titled The Trap of Nord Stream by Marion van Renterghem was recently published.

51. The author argues that Nord Stream was a trap set by Putin to hold Europe hostage using natural gas.

52. The book claims that Ukraine executed the Nord Stream sabotage, with U.S. support.

53. Around 60–80% of Russia’s gas exports pass through pipelines in Ukraine.

54. Ukraine earns transit fees for Russian gas, but Nord Stream would have bypassed Ukraine, threatening its revenues.

55. The book suggests Ukraine wanted to maintain the value of its transit pipelines while preventing Europe from becoming overly reliant on Russian gas.

56. While this is still just a theory, the author presents logical arguments and circumstantial evidence that point to a U.S.-Ukraine collaboration.

Alphazen Insights

Donald Trump, divisive as he may be, had a remarkable knack for reading the undercurrents of global power. When the stakes are high and core interests are at risk, history shows that great powers don’t just react—they orchestrate the chaos, rewrite the script, and redraw the map to tilt the game in their favor.