Interesting ideas can start flowing after a few too many drinks: Should we sing a duet? Start a dropshipping business? Maybe blow up a critical piece of European energy infrastructure?
What happened: A German police investigation into the 2022 attack on the Nord Stream pipeline has produced enough evidence to point to a small Ukrainian-led team that decided to destroy it on a booze-fuelled whim, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal.
- Authorities issued an arrest warrant for a diving instructor who allegedly planted explosives on both the underwater pipelines, which link Russia to Germany.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was reportedly aware of the plan, a claim that officials deny, but ordered the team to stop it when the CIA caught wind of it.
Catch-up: Once the gas stopped flowing, the accusations started piling up. Was it Ukraine? The CIA? Or was it Putin himself? The attack spun Europe, which relied heavily on Russian gas, into a full-blown energy crisis and cut off a much-needed revenue source for Russia.
Why it matters: The findings create an awkward situation for Ukraine, which received €6.6 billion for its war efforts against Russia from Germany in 2022 and 2023. For Germany, the attack was an economic blow that has expedited efforts to increase energy security.—SB