US officials speak with Danish counterparts about ‘apparent sabotage’ of Nord Stream pipelines
Top officials in the Biden administration on Tuesday evening spoke with their counterparts in Denmark to discuss that they called the “apparent sabotage” of two natural gas pipelines that run from Russia to Germany.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken both said they spoke with their Danish counterparts after seismic stations near the Baltic Sea recorded explosions as the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines began experiencing leaks.
The leaks led officials in multiple countries near the pipeline to point to sabotage, but Biden administration officials earlier on Tuesday declined to speculate on potential causes.
“I spoke to my counterpart Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe of Denmark about the apparent sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines,” Sullivan wrote on Twitter. “The U.S. is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europe’s energy security.”
State Department spokesperson Ned Price minutes later released a statement using the same description.
“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod today about the apparent sabotage along the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines,” Price said. “The United States remains united with our Allies and partners in our commitment to promoting European energy security.”
European countries have entered a standoff with Russia over its energy exports after the country invaded Ukraine in February, with the continent largely hoping to leverage other sources and combat rising prices.
Neither pipeline was supplying gas to Europe at the time of the explosions, despite being filled with gas.
Germany blocked certification of Nord Stream 2 shortly after the invasion. Russia suspended exports on the first pipeline in September, citing needed maintenance work, but the move was largely seen as retribution for the G7’s agreement earlier that day to cap the price of Russian oil.
“It is the authorities’ clear assessment that these are deliberate actions — not accidents,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said of the explosions.
Frederisken’s remark echoed some other European leaders, who also referenced the Russian invasion.
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US officials speak with Danish counterparts about "apparent sabotage" of Nord Stream pipelines https://t.co/Yaer4bHcXA pic.twitter.com/Pp0CpH17yX
— The Hill (@thehill) September 28, 2022
"Seismologists in #Denmark and #Sweden on Monday registered powerful blasts in the areas of the Nord Stream gas leaks, Sweden's National Seismology Centre (SNSN) at the Uppsala University told public broadcaster SVT"
So the plot thickens. https://t.co/hyP9ZXAn6T
— Lukas Trakimavicius (@LukasTraki) September 27, 2022
📽️ This is what the Nord Stream gas leaks look like.
Today, three leaks were found on two Russia-Germany pipelines. The largest made a 1km-wide disturbance on the surface of the Baltic Sea.
Sabotage can't be ruled out, said Danish PM Mette Frederiksen: https://t.co/OrDdTelwdX pic.twitter.com/KjmArp2zIv
— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) September 27, 2022
You can argue the logic (its actually contrary to US interest to have an energy shortage in Europe this winter) or point to the lack of evidence, but the most remarkable thing is how unsurprising this sort of straight-up Russian propaganda has become https://t.co/7MZ6SxptgU
— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) September 28, 2022
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