Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
AFP, citing a Palestinian source: This would force hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians into a small area near the city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt
AFP, citing a Palestinian source: 'Israel' was proposing to maintain military forces in more than 40 percent of the Palestinian territory
AFP, citing a Palestinian source: The map actually depicts redeployment and repositioning of the Israeli army rather than a genuine withdrawal
AFP, citing a Palestinian source: The negotiations in Doha are facing a setback and complex difficulties due to 'Israel's' insistence on presenting a map of withdrawal
Israeli media, citing former Aman official, reserve Colonel Jacques Neriah: Syria's transformation into a buffer zone as far as Iran is concerned changes the entire regional equation
Israeli media, citing a former security official: "Our borders" are now opposite Iraq after Syria became a buffer zone between us and Iran
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Israeli occupation launched more than 40 raids, in the form of fire belts, targeting Beit Hanoun; the most violent and intense since the beginning of the war
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli aircraft launched the largest waves of raids since the beginning of the war on the city of Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip
Barrack: The United States is committed to supporting that relationship between two equal and sovereign neighbors enjoying peace and prosperity
Barrack: I can assure that Syria’s leaders only want co-existence and mutual prosperity with Lebanon

Nord Stream was a 'legitimate target' for Ukraine: Czech president

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 22 Aug 2024 13:45
4 Min Read

The Czech president says he possesses no "clear incriminating" material connecting Kiev to the Nord Stream attack, but says pipelines are a strategic target.

Listen
  • x
  • Czech Rebublic's President Petr Pavel walking in during his arrival at the NATO summit in Washington, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (AP)
    Czech Republic's President Petr Pavel walks in during his arrival at the NATO summit in Washington, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (AP)

Petr Pavel, the president of the Czech Republic, stated that the Nord Stream pipelines were a "legitimate target" for Ukraine during its war with Russia. He has made it clear that he lacked evidence to support his claim that Kiev was indeed responsible for the attack on the energy infrastructure.

Speaking to media outlet Novinky.cz, Pavel was asked to respond to The Wall Street Journal article last week that implied Kiev was responsible for the September 2022 explosions that destroyed the pipelines used to transport Russian gas to Germany and the rest of Western Europe.

The sources for The Wall Street Journal claimed that although Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky had originally given his approval for the strike, he later attempted to cancel it due to pressure from the CIA. However, the operation was carried out nonetheless by Valery Zaluzhny, the country's military commander at the time.

The Czech president began by saying that he possesses no "clear incriminating" material connecting Kiev to the Nord Stream attack. He did however state that “when an armed conflict is waged, it is waged not only against military targets, but also against strategic targets. And pipelines are a strategic target.”

Bad consequences if Ukraine role proven

Pavel, a former NATO general, said that if the sabotage “was aimed at cutting off gas and oil supplies to Europe and [the flow of] money back to Russia, then... it would be a legitimate target,” adding, "Pipelines have always been and will always be targets because they have the potential to influence the conflict in one direction or the other."

Related News

'Everyone in Washington' believes Epstein Mossad spy: Tucker Carlson

Barrack defends Syria comments, claims they are no threat to Lebanon

If Ukraine's role in the act is proven, Pavel said, it may “affect the willingness of countries [in the EU] to provide assistance to Ukraine” in its war with Russia.

"On the other hand, we have no other option but to support Ukraine at this time. It is not about whether we like Ukraine or not, but about whether we want to live in a world where one country can invade another just because it is bigger and stronger,” he continued.

This week, Russia intensified its calls for Germany to provide full transparency in its investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticizing Berlin for allegedly concealing facts about the incident and insisting that Germany stop "categorically refusing to present the facts that it couldn’t have failed to discover."

A series of explosions under the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm rendered the pipelines inoperable. Despite ongoing investigations, the perpetrators have yet to be officially identified.

Moscow has placed the blame on Washington, accusing the US of orchestrating the attack, while Kiev has suggested that Russia destroyed its own infrastructure. In contrast, sections of the Western media have speculated that a "pro-Ukrainian group" carried out the sabotage.

In a different yet related context, Pavel said any peace deal reached between Ukraine and Russia likely "won't be fair," but justice should be the objective nonetheless.

"A just peace, if we were to imagine it on a scale from 100 percent to nothing, would mean the restoration of Ukraine's full control over its territory, including Crimea. It would require that the aggressor pay compensation for war damages. But that's probably a fantasy, we can all agree," Pavel said on PoliTalk, a Czech political podcast.

"In reality, the outcome will be slightly different. [But] our objective should be to get as close as possible to a just peace," he added.

  • United States
  • Nord Stream explosions
  • Petr Pavel
  • Russia
  • Volodymyr Zelensky
  • Czech Republic
  • Ukraine
  • Nordstream 2
  • Nord Stream 2
  • European Union
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemeni air defenses repel substantial part of Israeli aggression

Yemeni air defenses confront Israeli aggression on Hodeidah

  • Politics
  • 7 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Trump announces Mexico, EU rariffs of 30%
US & Canada

Trump slaps trade partners, Mexico, EU, with 30% tariffs from Aug. 1

Deal struck to create new state of New Caledonia
Europe

France announces State of New Caledonia, except with a twist

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, center, inspects a live-fire shooting training in Hsinchu County, Taiwan, Thursday, July 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US demands allies' plans in event of Taiwan war erupting

Israeli settlers kill American-Palestinian visiting West Bank
Palestine

Israeli settlers kill American-Palestinian visiting West Bank

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS