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
Death toll from latest Israeli strikes on Gaza rises to 30
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Five killed in the Israeli bombing of a civilian vehicle on Al-Qassam Street in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip
Hamas confirms that it has no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah and affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two civilians were killed and four others, including a child and an infant, were injured in an Israeli bombing of a house belonging to the Al-Banna family in the al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli airstrike targets the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, west of Gaza City
Al-Qassam: We will postpone the handover of the body of the Israeli captive we found, which was scheduled for today, due to the occupation's violations
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: Israeli occupation aircraft launch airstrikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip
Netanyahu's office: At the end of the security consultations, the prime minister instructed the military to launch massive military strikes on the Gaza Strip immediately
President Aoun: We urge the activation of the monitoring committee, the cessation of hostilities, ongoing Israeli violations, attacks
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to US Envoy Morgan Ortagus: Southerners must be enabled to return to their homes and rebuild

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

Trump says Gaza peace deal entering ‘phase two’

Venezuela slams Trinidad and Tobago, declares PM persona non grata

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

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, during a speech televised on October 22, 2025 (Al-Quds Brigades Military Media)

Al-Quds Brigades' Abu Hamza mourns leaders, vows continued resistance

  • Politics
  • 22 Oct 2025
US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

  • Africa
  • 23 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Members of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and Egyptian workers search for the bodies of hostages in a tunnel discovered during searches in Hamad City, Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' obstructing Gaza body recovery, creating false claims: Hamas

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawwaf Salam talks to US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus at the Grand Serail in Beirut, Lebanon, October 28, 2025 (NNA)
Politics

Salam conveys to Ortagus goals behind any possible negotiations

Writers boycott NYT, demand justice as Gaza media ban faces court
Politics

300+ writers boycott NYT Opinion, cite persistent anti-Palestine bias

Settlers attack West Bank olive harvesters, Injure 3 Palestinians
Politics

Settlers attack West Bank olive harvesters, injure 3 Palestinians

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