'Utterly unacceptable': EU warns after leaks found in Nord Stream gas pipelines
Sep 28, 2022
Brussels [Belgium], September 28 : European Union Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell on Wednesday expressed deep concern about damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, the strategic infrastructure that links Russia to Europe.
Borrell warned that any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is "utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response."
"The European Union is deeply concerned about damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that has resulted in leaks in the international waters of the Baltic Sea. Safety and environmental concerns are of utmost priority. These incidents are not a coincidence and affect us all," the top EU official said in a statement.
"All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act. We will support any investigation aimed at getting full clarity on what happened and why, and will take further steps to increase our resilience in energy security," he added.
On Monday, Danish and Swedish officials said that leaks had been identified in Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 under the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark's Bornholm island.
A probe is underway into leaks in two Russian gas pipelines amid concerns about sabotage of infrastructure at the heart of a European energy standoff.
The Kremlin said Russia is "extremely concerned" about the damage sustained by the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines.
In a statement, pipeline operator Nord Stream AG said three offshore lines of the Russia-built Nord Stream gas pipeline system sustained "unprecedented" damage, leaking gas into the Baltic Sea.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said pressure in the gas pipeline has dropped significantly as a result of the three leaks and refused to rule out sabotage as a potential cause, TASS reported.
The damage to the key pipelines comes amid an ongoing energy dispute that began after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February this year.
Europe accuses Russia of weaponising energy supplies in response to Western sanctions. Meanwhile, Moscow blames sanctions and technical issues for supply disruptions.
Earlier in August, flows through the pipeline were halted and have not yet been relaunched after a series of repairs declared by Moscow.
