Blog note: Further evidence of Gog/Magog’s interest in and need to monopolize the European natural gas market. Europe is aware of Gog’s attempts to manipulate prices and supply, especially during frigid European winters. Europe is looking to find a more diverse natural gas supply. Where might the Europeans a new source of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)? The eastern Mediterranean … ISRAEL! If the Europeans buy their natural gas via ISRAEL and/or Egypt, Gog’s natural gas monopoly will go up like a whisper of smoke from an extinguished gas light. His economy will be crippled. Is it any wonder why the Gog/Mago coalition will come against Israel to ‘take a great spoil’? (Israel’s tremendous natural gas fields). Yes, I have stated this proposition many times now, however, the scenario keeps coming up in the secular media time and time again. LNG is THAT BIG OF A DEAL. If Gog can acquire said natural gas spoils from Israel, he would increase his gas stock/reserves, preserve his monopoly in Europe AND be able to expand into LNG markets in the far east (India, China). This expansion would be a tremendous boost to the Russian economy and allow for greater investment in military hardware, drones, supersonic weapons and cyber-warfare. Surely Gog knows this and is biding his time until the U.S. is for all practical purposes, out of the Middle East. End of note.

Russia gas pipeline to boost grip on Ukraine, Europe: U.S. diplomat. Gog/Magog’s motivations increasingly become clearer. His game plan is obvious. It’s just a question of timing of ‘when’. He is biding his time until the U.S. is out of the Middle East and not in a position to defend Israel.

Timothy Gardner.DECEMBER 10, 2018 / 3:45 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Russia is seeking to boost its power in Europe and grip over Ukraine with the proposed Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, the top U.S. energy diplomat said on Monday, in a step-up of Washington’s rhetoric against the pipeline

“Through Nord Stream 2, Russia seeks to increase its leverage of the West while severing Ukraine from Europe,” Francis Fannon, the U.S. assistant secretary for energy resources at the State Department, told reporters in a teleconference.

The pipeline has been opposed both by President Donald Trump, a Republican, and his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama as a political tool for Russia to consolidate power over Europe. Much of the gas that Europe currently gets from Russia via pipeline goes through Ukraine, which collects billions of dollars in transit charges making up to 3 percent of its gross domestic product.

If Nord Stream 2, which aims to bring Russian gas to Western Europe via the Baltic Sea, and TurkStream, a pipeline to bring gas from Russia to Turkey, are completed it would mean transit revenues would evaporate,

“It’s kind of just what’s left over that would be transited, potentially transited, through Ukraine,” Fannon said. “Even then that’s only based on whether we can trust (Russia President Vladimir) Putin, I don’t think the record should indicate anyone should.”

Putin has said that Nord Stream 2, a consortium of Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom and five European companies, is purely economic and not directed against other countries. Russian gas could continue to go through Ukraine if the pipeline is completed, Putin has said.

But Russia has stopped shipments of gas to Ukraine in winter in recent years over a series of pricing disputes. Critics of Nord Stream 2 say it could increase Russia’s ability to manipulate European energy markets. In an increase in tensions, Russia last month seized three Ukrainian naval ships off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea in the Sea of Azov after opening fire on them.

Germany’s foreign minister, Heiko Maas, said this month that Berlin will not withdraw its political support for Nord Stream 2 and that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had secured a pledge from Putin in August allowing gas shipments across Ukraine’s territory.

Fannon made his comments after traveling to Eastern Europe to discuss projects that could offer Europe a more diverse natural gas supply. Those included a floating liquefied natural gas terminal on the Adriatic island of Krk that could one day receive gas imports from the United States, which is increasing its exports of the fuel, or the eastern Mediterranean.

Fannon said he expected Russia’s aggression in the Sea of Azov to boost support for several bills in the U.S. Congress that include new sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, though he refrained from commenting on any particular legislation.

Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Leslie Adler