Russia is invading Europe as soon as a war breaks out between the United States and …

The agreement between Angela Merkel and Joe Biden on a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany raises fears that Vladimir Putin will launch an offensive in Europe, writes the British newspaper The Daily Express, quoted by Focus.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Joe Biden have agreed to complete the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. But according to Maximilian Thorhol, the move could lead Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack neighboring Ukraine, as well as Europe as a whole.

The Kings College London professor and former senior adviser to the British Ministry of Defense claims that the pipeline will give President Putin influence over the EU in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

Thorhol says the Russian leader will take advantage of the fact that the United States is unable to wage two major wars simultaneously. This means that in the event of an outbreak of hostilities between America and China, Europe will have to defend itself against a powerful Russian offensive.

He writes: “Probably Ukraine, which has been at war since 2014 and is deprived of even the minimal control it once had over Russia because of this pipeline, is now doomed. Russia’s smaller neighbors in NATO are also rightly cautious, again asking how reliable the Alliance’s deterrents are. And not without reason.

Undoubtedly, the Russian president has been encouraged by Germany’s stubborn disregard for sharp criticism of Poland and the Baltic states against the pipeline, not to mention the fact that Biden has recently made it clear that Russia poses less of a threat to US security. than China.

Last week, Putin said it was the West’s anti-Russian project that prompted him to write an article about why Russia and Ukraine really are one people. The implication was clear: The Sudetenland, Kuwait – and now it’s Ukraine’s turn?

Former officials point to NATO’s iron law of restraint: Russia will not attack the Alliance’s eastern flank as long as there are American troops – read: German, British or French will not matter. With the departure of former US President Donald Trump, US troops have settled here for a long time. Then why make such a fuss?

But Terhol goes on to explain his concern: “When US Secretary of Defense James Mathis was asked in the Senate in 2017 if the United States could wage two large-scale wars at the same time, he replied, ‘No, sir!’ hopes for a favorable situation. “

“A possible war between the United States and China is likely to engulf, if not all, of the United States’ economic and military potential, then at least a huge part of it, and therefore greatly undermine American confidence that they are capable of providing deterrence in Europe. And for that reason, such a conflict would give Putin the much-coveted opportunity to retaliate for Russia’s defeat at the end of the Cold War in 1991. “

“Whether a war between the United States and China will break out at all remains unknown, of course. But it cannot be ruled out that the current rivalry between them could escalate into a large-scale conflict, as it is unlikely that either side is willing to make serious concessions to the government. “

The deal between Merkel and President Biden has also been strongly condemned by her EU allies.

German MEP Manfred Weber criticized the agreement, noting that the decision “harms” the entire European Union.

The HDZ politician, who is the leader of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament, said that the German chancellor should have consulted with the EU Council before starting talks with the US president on the issue.

Weber told the German newspaper Die Welt: “The Nord Stream 2 decision is detrimental to Europe as a whole and to Ukraine. Without the services that former Chancellor and GSDP leader Schroeder provided to Putin, the pipeline would be unthinkable.

He added that the decision would be a “heavy burden” on the shoulders of the whole of Europe.

Weber noted that in the future, when dealing with projects of this scale, Germany “should have discussions in the European context” and work closely with European partners.

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