The Global Cable and Pipeline War Under the Sea

An antiquated 40mm anti-air gun points towards sea at the observation deck on Beigan, part of Matsu Islands, Taiwan, on March 5, 2023. Just 10km away from mainland China at its closest, Matsu became a fortress and frontline of defense for the Nationalists who had retreated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing to the Communist Party in a civil war. Johnson Lai/AP Photo

Commentary

In September 2022, explosive charges damaged three of the four Russian-built Nord Stream Baltic Sea natural gas pipelines connecting Russia to Western Europe. The Washington Post recently reported that Ukrainian special forces conducted the sabotage attack. Why? The pipeline gives Russia economic and political leverage over energy-hungry Europeans, Ukraine’s allies.