Denmark will not allow Russia to investigate the Nord Stream explosions. On this subject writing The Local in reference to the head of Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
“We told the Russians that we were carrying out a thorough investigation (sabotage on the gas pipelines). And when we do, we will announce the results of that investigation,” Rasmussen said.
The Danish Foreign Minister also pointed out that in Denmark, Sweden and Germany – the countries which opened the investigation into the explosions – “the rule of law prevails and our investigations are trustworthy”.
As noted by The Local, Denmark has the right to decide who will participate in the investigation of two of the four explosions – those that occurred in the Danish economic zone (the other two explosions took place in the economic zone of Sweden).
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova on the air of the TV channel “Russia 1” declared that Copenhagen’s refusal to allow Moscow to participate in the investigation of the Nord Stream explosions is a “fraud” and a “swindle”.
“These are frauds, an absolutely real scam, they are not even pyramids, but a three-penny attraction, which in my opinion no one buys for a long time, they play it for themselves”, a- she declared.
According to Zakharova, Western countries are constantly trying to “bury and clean up” such stories. The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that the reason lies in the fact that “a lot of money is at stake”. At the same time, she assured that the story of gas pipeline sabotage would not end like this.
On March 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow wanted permission from Danish authorities to carry out the necessary investigations at the Nord Stream explosion sites. He noted that Russia is ready to conduct an independent review or jointly with Western countries, “or rather, forming an international group of experts and explosives.”
Putin also pointed out that it is very difficult for Moscow to carry out its own investigation into the sabotage, since Russian specialists are not allowed to visit the scene of the incident.
Explosions at Nord Stream
Explosions on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines occurred at the end of September 2022. As a result of the sabotage, three out of four lines were damaged. NATO called the result of “deliberate, reckless and irresponsible acts of sabotage”.
Sergei Naryshkin, chairman of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), claimed the intelligence service “had some material” pointing to a “Western trace” in the blasts. The head of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, insists that the United States is the main beneficiary of the sabotage of the gas pipeline.
In October, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the main beneficiaries of sabotage were the United States, Ukraine and Poland. Afterwards, he noted that the United States was theoretically interested in undermining the Nord Streams, in particular to stop the supply of Russian energy carriers from the European market.
American journalist Seymun Hersh published an investigation in early February, alleging that the United States and Norway had organized the Nord Stream bombing. As Hersh said, the sabotage was “ordered” by the US President’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. The United States and Norway deny any connection with the attacks.
In early March, the New York Times published an article stating that the Nord Stream gas pipeline had been destroyed by a pro-Ukrainian group. The Washington Post also wrote about the involvement of “pro-Ukrainian saboteurs” in the sabotage. According to Die Zeit, a “Ukrainian commando” is responsible for blowing up the pipeline. Official Kiev denies any involvement in the sabotage. According to Politico, US intelligence also does not believe that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his entourage were involved in the attacks.
President of the Russian Security Council Patrushev believes that Ukraine has not benefited from the sabotage of gas pipelines. He believes reports in Western media of the involvement of pro-Ukrainian saboteurs in the blasts are intended to “muddy the waters” and “cover up the real customers of the crime”. According to him, “special forces with appropriate equipment and training” are involved in such sabotage, and “the United States and England have certainly done so”. Vladimir Putin is also convinced that the explosions were carried out at the state level and that non-professionals could not organize them.
