After pipeline explosion: NATO protects pipelines and internet lines in the sea Twice as many countries in the world develop into authoritarian states than into democracies

According to the will of Germany and Norway, NATO must protect gas pipelines and internet lines on the seabed from attack. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will be asked to set up a coordination office for this, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said Wednesday in Berlin during a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre. Stoltenberg welcomed the initiative. It is in response to the explosion of the two Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

At the end of September, a total of four underwater leaks were found on the two Nord Stream pipelines, from which enormous amounts of gas escaped for several days. The leaks are located near the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm, partly in Danish and partly Swedish waters. The EU and NATO assume sabotage. The Kremlin had dismissed speculation about Russian participation as “silly and absurd”.

Protect “lifelines for our states”

Scholz and Støre met for a joint performance at the Berlin Security Conference. “Pipelines, telephone cables and internet connections are lifelines for our states and must be specially secured. Last but not least, the attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have shown the great risks here,” said the Chancellor. The aim now must be to effectively coordinate the police and military and involve actors such as the European Union and private companies.

“It’s about the safety of energy systems. I don’t want to draw a sharp line here between what’s above and what’s underwater. It’s about gas pipelines, it’s about telecommunications infrastructure, fiber optic infrastructure and other things,” Støre said. “We need a coordinated joint effort to ensure the safety of this infrastructure,” he said.

Stoltenberg said he looks forward to discussing the plans with Scholz and Støre in Berlin. “We have stepped up our efforts following the recent sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. And it is now crucial to do even more to ensure that our infrastructure at sea is safe from further destruction.”

Norway wants to return part of the gas revenues to Ukraine

Prime Minister Støre also announced that he would return part of the generous gas revenue to Ukraine and other countries suffering from the war. As one of the world’s largest gas exporters, Norway benefits greatly from rising energy prices.

Scholz thanked Norway for increasing its gas supplies to Germany by ten percent to compensate for the lack of Russian gas supplies. The chancellor assured that Germany had learned lessons from Russian aggression against Ukraine “to protect our own country and our allies”.

He told the leadership of the Bundeswehr that its core task was national and allied defense and the defense of freedom in Europe. “All other tasks of our armed forces are derived from this. All other tasks are subordinate to this central task,” says Scholz. “No aggressor should ever doubt our determination to defend every Allied and every inch of Allied territory with all the forces at our disposal.”

Lambrecht: The neglect of the Bundeswehr must come to an end

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht assured allies and partners that Germany is building a defensible force with the 100 billion euros in special debts. The neglect of the Bundeswehr must be over. “We cannot continue like this. That is why it is important that there was a very clear announcement,” said Lambrecht. fund, a special fund in the order of 100 billion euros.”

She reiterated her continued support for Ukraine and NATO allies on the eastern flank. Lambrecht: “For us Germans it is important that our allies know that they can count on us. We are loyal partners and, above all, very committed partners.”

Numerous high-ranking representatives from politics and the armed forces of allied and friendly states will speak at the conference until Thursday. The organizers describe the meeting as the first major conference of its kind since the start of Russia’s offensive war against Ukraine in February. (saw/sda/dpa)