Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksi Reznikov on Wednesday rejected any connection of the Ukrainian authorities with the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in Baltic waters in September last year, after several publications have pointed out that the attack was perpetrated by six people from a yacht rented from a Poland-based company owned by two Ukrainians.
»For me it’s a bit strange this story. It has nothing to do with us and the official investigation will describe all the details. It is not our activity,» Reznikov said upon his arrival at the meeting of European defense ministers in Sweden about the press publications on the origin of the attack.
These declarations come after the US newspaper ‘The New York Times’ pointed out that the US Intelligence has reports on the participation of a pro-Ukrainian group in the sabotage, while an investigation by the German press points out that the attack was perpetrated from a Ukrainian yacht rented in Poland.
THE EU AND NATO DECLINE TO ASSESS THESE REPORTS In response to the declarations of Ukraine, which has disassociated itself from any connection with the attack on the Russian gas pipeline, the European Union and NATO have avoided making any statement, stressing that national investigations must be allowed to progress in order to clarify this episode which occurred in the Baltic Sea.
»I cannot give an opinion on things for which I do not have clear evidence and information», said the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, from Stockholm when asked about this case.
He joins the secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, who in statements also from the Swedish capital on Tuesday asked to wait for the final result of the investigations. There are ongoing investigations and I don’t think it is right to speculate who is behind it until the investigations and inquiries have been concluded,» he said.
In any case, he stressed that this is an »attack» against critical infrastructure in Europe and highlights the vulnerabilities of these resources, such as Internet cables or gas pipelines, important for modern societies.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
