Both experts and governments have claimed that the gas leaks detected in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines this week were likely caused by deliberate sabotage, one with member of the European Parliament specifically thanking the United States following the strike.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that the gas leaks, one of which occurred in Danish waters, were the actions of sabotage, although the Danish leader did not name any possible culprits who may have been behind the incident, stating, “there is no information indicating who could be behind it.”
Bjorn Lund, director of the Swedish National Seismic Network, meanwhile, has claimed that the leaks were preceded by explosions in the same areas, including one explosion that registered as a 2.3 magnitude earthquake off the island of Bornholm, CBC reports.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen also claimed that the incident was an act of sabotage after speaking with Prime Minister Fredericksen and said an investigation needed to be conducted. “Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable and will lead to the strongest possible response,” she said.
Professor Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen from the University of Helsinki’s Aleksanteri Institute blamed Russia for the leaks saying, ” It is still difficult to say how it is technically implemented. I can also see that Russia, in its own propaganda, twists the matter so that the Ukrainian special forces are behind the act.”
While others have also blamed Russia for the leak, Polish member of the European parliament Radek Sikorski posted a picture of the area of the seas where the leak occurred simply stating on Twitter “Thank you, USA.”
It is unclear whether or not Mr Sikorski, a member of the globalist, hardline-pro Brussels Civic Platform party of Donald Tusk, was actually seriously crediting the United States with sabotaging the pipelines. Nevertheless, social media users have been quick to point out U.S. President Joe Biden’s previous remarks about his willingness to shut down the Nord Stream 2 pipeline prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In early February, President Biden stated “If Russia invades…then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it,” and when asked what he meant specifically, as the project was in the control of Germany, he replied, “I promise you, we will be able to do that.”
Meanwhile, assessment of the damage to the pipes themselves carries on and attention focusses on other vulnerable energy infrastructure. German newspaper Tagesspiegel reports a government source remarking that the damage to Nord Stream 1 and 2 is “major” and if it is not rectified soon, saltwater corrosion of the inside of the pipes will leave them totally unusable — in other words, “destroyed forever”.
European nations have stepped up their military presence around energy infrastructure, with Germany increasing naval patrols and Norway stepping up military presence at shore-based gas installations.
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