Russia dismisses Germany narrative on Nord Stream blasts
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Germany had claimed that three amateur Ukrainian divers caused the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.
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In this picture provided by the Swedish Coast Guard, the gas leak in the Baltic Sea from Nord Stream is photographed from the Coast Guard's aircraft on September 27, 2022. (AP)
Russian Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy has dismissed recent claims that three amateur divers were responsible for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline sabotage, calling such narratives naive and insisting on the necessity of an international investigation.
In a media stakeout on Tuesday, Polyanskiy criticized the narrative, stating, "It looks like those who drafted them were initially making up a scenario that only a child or a very naive person could believe."
Polyanskiy also emphasized that Germany must share its findings from the investigation into the Nord Stream 2 attack with the UN Security Council. "It's its obligation and it's something that we expect to be done in the nearest future," he said.
Moreover, Polyanskiy stressed that Russia would not be deterred by recent media reports suggesting that the pipelines were blown up by a small crew of Ukrainian divers.
He reiterated Russia’s commitment to pursuing an international, transparent investigation under UN auspices, saying, "Russia will not be misled and will not drop its efforts to ensure accountability for those who are behind this terrorist act."
The Nord Stream 2 pipelines, a major infrastructure project aimed at delivering natural gas from Russia to Europe, were targeted in an act of sabotage, with Moscow pointing fingers at the West or Ukraine.
Moscow demands transparency
Russia has 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 must stop "categorically refusing to present the facts that it couldn’t have failed to discover."
In an interview with Izvestia published on Monday, Lavrov highlighted that when information formally requested by Russia is withheld but later appears in news articles, it raises "suspicions that all of this is staged."
He also said this insinuates that the entire operation was "designed to somehow divert public opinion" from the "true perpetrators, culprits, and clients [of the attack]." He also criticized Germany for "silently accepting" the loss of a long-term energy supply crucial for the country’s development.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has taken official steps, with Foreign Ministry official Oleg Tyapkin confirming that Moscow has filed a formal complaint with Berlin over its handling of the investigation. Russia has urged Germany and other affected countries to fulfill their obligations under UN anti-terrorist conventions.
