Pro-Kremlin influencers on the far-left, the far-right, and conspiracy theory personalities promoted the idea that the United States attacked Nord Stream. Blaming the U.S. frequently went together, insisting it was outlandish to say that Russia was responsible.
Multiple accounts identified among the first to share an ABC video tweet had histories of past interaction with Russian, Chinese, or Iranian state affiliates. The video was the first of two key tweets, the second being a tweet from Radek Sikorski, whose comment was used to insist the U.S. was responsible for the Nord Stream explosions.
In the video, United States President Biden promises to stop Nord Stream 2. Less than a month later, with the cooperation of the German government, Biden did so by sanctioning the pipeline. Despite this, the clip was still able to gain traction among influential accounts, many of which lacked context and were misleading.
The messaging and behavior of AfD, Russian state affiliates, and the media are worth examining in light of the Nord Stream explosion. The details and aspects highlighted do not prove nor imply that anyone had foreknowledge or collaborated, though we cannot exclude the possibility either. Instead, they show the social and political climate in which the explosion happened.
Russia's history of amplifying AfD's dissatisfaction with domestic politics includes AfD protests against efforts to halt Nord Stream 2. Before February 2022, when Russia renewed its invasion, AfD advocated for ending sanctions against Russia. Although AfD initially denied connections to Russia, it has cultivated relationships with powerful figures like Vyacheslav Volodin, a former-Putin aide on the "Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list."
The Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote about the 2019 AfD scandal. "Leaked documents revealed that Russia planned to provide financial and public relations assistance to his campaign."
The support does not appear one-sided. On September 16, 2022, the Robert Lansing Institute warned that Russia was preparing for a "fake news campaign involving (AfD)." AfD originally planned to visit Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine in late September 2022, but the trip was canceled after facing "widespread criticism." German politicians were growing concerned that AfD could cause trouble at home, according to The Washington Post.
"In recent months, German politicians have become particularly concerned that the AfD will whip up fervor over the energy crisis in Europe, serving Putin's aims by stirring discontent and raising questions over whether Western backing of Ukraine's war is worth it."