Russia accuses EU nations of stalling Nord Stream blast inquiry

Russia’s foreign ministry expressed frustration on Thursday, as it called in ambassadors from Germany, Denmark, and Sweden over the perceived slow pace of the investigation into the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year.

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In September 2022, the Nord Stream 1 and the newly constructed Nord Stream 2, which run under the Baltic Sea connecting Russia and Germany, experienced unaccounted underwater detonations. These explosions took place in the economic jurisdictions of Sweden and Denmark.

Both nations, alongside Germany, have agreed that these explosions were intentional acts of sabotage but have yet to point to any specific perpetrators. Despite the ongoing investigation by these three countries, the identity of those responsible remains unknown.

Russia’s foreign ministry issued a statement accusing these nations of deliberately stalling the investigation and attempting to obscure the true culprits behind the explosions. They voiced concern over the lack of transparency in the inquiry and the unwillingness to involve Russia in the process.

The statement went on to allege that the three countries showed no interest in uncovering the genuine circumstances surrounding this act of sabotage, accusing them of deferring their efforts and obscuring the real instigators of the crime.

The Danish foreign ministry has confirmed the summoning of its ambassador and reaffirmed that the investigative authorities in Denmark, Germany, and Sweden are still working on the case. “Denmark has been regularly updating Russia on the investigation’s progress and responding to their inquiries. We will continue to do so,” they stated in an email response.

Both the United States and NATO have described the incident as an act of sabotage. Russia has held the West responsible, yet neither side has provided conclusive evidence to support their claims. Despite this, Moscow maintains that it will continue to push for an objective investigation, which includes Russian participation.