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Over the last few years, intergovernmental affairs and the roles of individual countries within the West have started to shift. In response, Kyiv (Kiev) should reorder the priorities and emphases of its foreign political, economic, and cultural policies. The central focus of this re-orientation should be more resolute than the hitherto deepening of Ukrainian relations has been, not only with the German government but also with the broader political elite, industrial companies, and the civil society of the Federal Republic. A recent systematic study of German perceptions of Ukraine can help develop new approaches, initiatives, and policies to reach a new level of German–Ukrainian partnership.

As a significant detection task, underwater explosion events have piqued the interest of geophysicists. On September 26, 2022, two underwater explosions occurred in the Baltic Sea region involving the Nord Stream pipeline. Subsequent reports from the media and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre deduced that one event was detected at 17:03:49 GMT, exhibiting a magnitude of 3.1 on the Richter scale, whereas the second event lacked comprehensive information. To meticulously investigate the details of the two Nord Stream incidents, we employed 14 proximate stations for subsequent analysis. Using a linear inversion technique, we determined that the two events occurred at 00:03:30 and 17:03:49, with corresponding coordinates of 54.87°N, 15.52°E and 55.59°N, 15.80°E, respectively, and Richter magnitudes of 2.3 and 3.1, respectively. Spectral analysis corroborates that both events were underwater explosions, and the presence of anomalous signals within the frequency domain may provide valuable insights into source parameters and characteristics, particularly for the first event.

A large consumption of natural gas accompanied by reduced production capabilities makes Europe heavily dependent on imports from Russia. More than half of Russian gas is exported by transiting Ukraine, so in the context of the underlying conflict between the two, this is considered uncertain. Therefore, in this article, we modeled the natural gas transportation system using cooperative game theory in order to determine the bargaining power of the major players (Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and Norway) by using a form of the Shapley value. We described the interaction between countries as network games where utilities from transport routes are considered and proposed three scenarios where the gas flow from Russia to Ukraine is either diminished or completely interrupted, with the purpose of finding out how the bargaining power on this market is shifted in case of network redesign. In this context, we included in the analysis the scenario where the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will be finished. Results showed that Russia dominates the market in any scenario, and by avoiding Ukraine, its position is even further strengthened. Moreover, Germany’s position remains stable considering its diverse imports and large storage capabilities, and its bargaining power increases in the case of diminishing or avoiding the Ukrainian gas pipelines.

The study analyzes the effects of an underwater explosion recorded in the Baltic Sea on September 26, 2022, with coordinates: 54.675 North and 15.574 East at a depth of 76.2 m. Based on data from the seismic monitoring system, the detonated charges were estimated at 750 kg of TNT. Then, the empirical equations of R. H. Cole and Warren D. Reid were used to calculate water pressure distribution and determine the danger zones for marine technology, ships, people, and sea fauna. The results are presented in graphical and tabular form. Based on the calculations, the explosion impact area was determined at over 6,700 m from the epicenter.

When Sweden was confronted with the idea of building a gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea, the Swedish government found itself in a paradoxical situation. Should it give in to strong foreign interests and abandon its proudly held line of environmental policy, or stick to its profile at the risk of earning a powerful adversary? This narrative analysis, building on the government's official narratives, explains how and why the self-proclaimed environmental guardian of the sea ended up having it both ways. By using strategies of depoliticization, polarization, and parallel storytelling, the Swedish government surrendered narrative power to its antagonist, alternated between incompatible views of its own political capability, and added a happy ending to the pipeline tragedy. These strategies enabled the government to make an environmentally controversial decision without losing prestige or abandoning its ethical profile regarding the Baltic Sea.