Borrell urges not to draw premature conclusions about explosions at Nord Stream

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned against jumping to conclusions after a media report said that a pro-Ukrainian group was behind last year's attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines. Borrell made the statement in Stockholm at a press conference following an informal meeting of EU defense ministers.

"About the Nord Stream II, these are serious things. First, never be afraid of the truth. I am not afraid of the truth. But we are talking about – for the time being – speculations. Investigations on the exact circumstances are still ongoing in Sweden, in Denmark, and in Germany. And let's be serious: as long as investigations are ongoing, we cannot draw definitive conclusions. What can I say? I have to wait to have a clear understanding of what has happened," Borrell said.

The EU High Representative emphasized that an act of sabotage on the Nord Stream gas pipelines had indeed taken place. For the European Union, this indicates the need to increase vigilance around its own critical infrastructure.

Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson also refrained from speculating on the cause of the pipeline explosions.

"A prosecutor's investigation is underway with the support of the Swedish security service. While this process is ongoing, we cannot draw any conclusions, we have to wait for the investigation to be completed. But I agree with the conclusions of the EU High Representative on the importance of protecting critical infrastructure, as well as raising awareness and understanding that we must also counter hybrid threats," the Swedish official summarized.

•  On the night of September 26, 2022, a sudden drop in pressure occurred in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. On September 27, it was reported that gas from the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline had spilled into the Baltic Sea on the eve of the launch of the Baltic Sea pipeline. At the same time, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the damage to the Russian Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea was the result of deliberate actions.

• Later it became known that on September 26, a man-made explosion of about 700 kg of TNT equivalent occurred on the routes of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called the damage to the Nord Stream pipeline a sabotage.

• Subsequently, Swedish intelligence services confirmed the sabotage at Nord Stream and searched for those responsible for the explosions. At the same time, German investigators stated that they had no evidence that Russia was behind the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines.

• The media in the United States and Germany have investigated the Nord Stream accident, seeing it as a trace of pro-Ukrainian forces, but officials in the countries advise waiting for the results of the investigation. 

• The President's Office denied Ukraine's involvement in the explosions at the Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea.

• Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov denied that Ukrainians were involved in the explosion of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

• NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that it is still unknown who was involved in the explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022.