Russian Embassy in US: Nord Stream truth 'swept under the rug'
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The embassy emphasized that no evidence of Russia’s alleged "involvement" has been concluded after three months of data collection.
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Russian Embassy in the US (Reuters)
In a statement published on Telegram, the Russian Embassy in the US stated that the "inconvenient truth" regarding the Nord Stream blasts will not be "swept under the carpet," and asserted that a transparent and comprehensive investigation will still be done - specifically with Russian participation.
“The journalists - unlike the local authorities, who 'suddenly' abandoned megaphone diplomacy and speculations in their favorite 'highly likely' style - are trying to get to the truth about the unprecedented attack on the pipeline infrastructure that took place in the Baltic Sea. We cannot but welcome such an aspiration,” Russia’s embassy stated, referring to a US anonymous journalist-based conclusion about the investigation.
The embassy emphasized that no evidence of Russia’s alleged "involvement" has been concluded after three months of data collection which could only disappoint Russia’s critics, adding the Biden administration stayed “eloquently” silent.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called out every EU country on Wednesday for neglecting the Nord Stream explosions, when although Sweden and Denmark declared them sabotage acts, they stopped at that and did not name the possible suspects.
'It wasn't us'
Efforts to steer away from "hardcore Russophobia" instantly qualify as a game "on the Kremlin's side" in the ranks of the collective West," the statement said.
"Who benefited from playing the 'Russian card' for geopolitical and energy weakening of Europe? Who is the ultimate beneficiary of the pipelines’ rupture and the sale of 'alternative' energy resources? For whom was Russia’s cheap and affordable natural gas like an eyesore? The answer is obvious,” said the Russian embassy.
The US report announced on December 21 that, “There is no evidence at this point that Russia was behind the sabotage" at the Nord Stream gas pipelines which took place in September as the report referenced an unidentified European official, and confirmed with 23 other diplomatic and intelligence officials in nine countries interviewed by the report authors.
"The governments that waited to comment before drawing conclusions played this right," an EU official was quoted as saying in the report.
At the time, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau was swift to accuse Russia during a local radio interview as the one who "may have damaged the pipelines in order to deepen the divisions in Europe on energy security." Germany Economy Minister Robert Habeck had also commented that “Russia saying ‘it wasn’t us’ is like saying ‘I’m not the thief.’”
'Not a good thing'
According to the US investigative report, some officials supposedly believe that the Nord Stream attack could have been executed by different parties using underwater drones or ships.
Furthermore, the report stressed that the damage was undoubtedly that of premeditated actions and that a few countries such as Norway, which supplies gas through undersea pipelines to Europe, have one common worry: that the suspect of the Nord Stream sabotage will never be "found".
"It's not a good thing. Whoever did it may get away with it," a Norwegian official was cited as saying.
