(MENAFN) The Russian Embassy in the US has accused Washington of trying to impede efforts to hold an international investigation into last year's explosions that ruptured the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The embassy commented on a White House statement about the "sufficiency of the national investigations, conducted by European countries," saying it was an "obvious attempt by the authorities to hide behind the back of the allies, to do everything possible to undermine efforts to find out the true circumstances behind the act of sabotage."
German, Swedish, and Danish authorities are investigating the undersea explosions that occurred in the Baltic Sea last September and sparked leaks on the two Nord Stream pipelines. Russia has called for an international UN-led inquiry into the "sabotage" and to identify those responsible, but the request has not been supported by the Security Council.
The Russian embassy emphasized that "all states are interested in establishing the truth and punishing those responsible for the sabotage in order to prevent similar terrorist attacks in the future." It accused the US of ignoring potential "colossal harm" to the environment due to the explosions and reminded about hundreds of thousands of munitions with toxic chemical substances that sank in the Baltic Sea during World War II.
The embassy warned that these munitions pose a significant risk, and any explosions in these waters could lead to an unprecedented environmental catastrophe and cause irreparable damage to regional states. The embassy added that it is unclear whether the perpetrators of the terrorist attack considered these risks.
The Russian embassy criticized the US administration's assurances of full confidence in the "thorough" investigations by allied states, stating that they are not trustworthy, particularly given the refusal to grant Russia access to these proceedings. The embassy stressed that this move was an attempt to block the joint appeal by Russia, China, and Brazil at the UN Security Council to launch a full-fledged international investigation.
The ongoing tensions between Russia and the US over the Nord Stream pipeline explosions reflect the complex geopolitical landscape of the region. Russia's calls for an international inquiry have not been taken up, leaving the question of who was behind the sabotage unresolved. The accusations and counter-accusations made by Russia and the US suggest that the issue is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.
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