In Europe warm winter, General Frost did not come to aid Russia, gas warehouses evidence full. It is worth looking at the results of the gas war the West of Russia said in consequence to the attack on Ukraine.
When, in the text for the Polish Thought, “Who is in charge and who pays for sanctions?” (MP 23-24/2022) I showed that America did not have any cost by proving in the economical war with Russia, I underestimated the imperial method of global management of younger allies, or more like “priests”... After almost a year of war, 1 thing can be said: Americans have almost completely cut Europe off from Russia on the most crucial issue: energy. This is simply a immense success that seemed a year ago that there could not be a speech, and Europe has defended itself so powerfully against a akin scenario.
And it was cut off from Russian gas not by formal embargo, specified as in oil or coal, but by political pressures which resulted in "commitments" of states or corporations to restrict or cease imports from Russia. Finally, with a powerful act of diversion of "unknown perpetrators" who blew up Nord Stream pipelines, physically destroying the world's largest gas connection. The origin of all these actions is the United States, and they are forcing faithful and fearful allies to dispel their interests by sacrificing them to global order. Also, if you believe the erstwhile minister of abroad affairs or national defence (so I think he knows what he is saying), in the case of the largest act of state global terrorism.
Europe's falling into energy dependence on America is simply a long process. For many years she was forced not to buy Russian gas. All opportunities and tools of force were utilized to prevent further contracts, building common infrastructure. These activities continued even before America became the global leader in LNG exports (and it did so only in 7 years, being previously an importer). But erstwhile its own LNG exports started in 2016, the precedence became to gain the European market, for American shale gas, exported as LNG.
Washington set fresh rules for energy games in Europe for years without Russia. But crescendo of these treatments came with the war in Ukraine. Thanks to it, the main line – energy resources, was cut like an axe. And even stronger – explosives.
But this empty place after Russia (40% of the needs) had to be replaced. Mobilising suppliers specified as Norway and Algeria did little. Gas from Russia, which was not delivered – 80 billion m3, was in a immense part replaced by LNG. His deliveries increased by 60%. Russia (by 12%) even participated in this increase. small more increased Qatar supply – 23%. But the real hit was deliveries from the U.S., they jumped as much as 2.5 times. Almost all European LNG customers (except Belgium and Italy) dominate American suppliers.
At the end of the year it turned out that the import of American LNG into Europe was larger than the residual supply of Russian gas by pipelines. This is the first time in history, as well as the fact that the EU regasification terminals worked in any moments full steam – almost 100 per cent power (in the Świnouian terminal in December 7 deliveries, 583 million m3 were regasified, or 97% power was used). Given that European terminals can adopt 220 billion m3 per year, they can practically replace all Russian gas in Europe.
The global gas market, the gendarme of which is the US (as in oil), is another control tool. And here, too, American corporations have settled at the center of planet trade in bulk goods, transforming it into speculation with derivatives. Just as oil-based "paper barrels" (paper oil) was created, so now the "paper gas" debuted, replacing the real trade in goods with the price. Turnovers are growing, and the marketplace has dominated American stock exchanges, specified as CME, with its branches besides in Asia and Europe. Each day, it rotates around instruments worth 130 billion dollars (this is the yearly GDP of Poland) erstwhile the value of oil sold regular (nearly 100 million b/d) is "just" USD 7 billion.
Europe has lost another asset. Russian gas was mainly purchased for Euros erstwhile LNG is quoted in dollars. Another failure in trying to separate from the dollar. Yet in 2018 the European Commission declared war on the dollarisation of its trade. The dollar was to give way to the Euro. The immense European gas marketplace went back to the dollar.
Andrzej Szczęsniak
photo wikipedia commons
Think Poland, No. 5-6 (29.01-5.02.2023)
