Nord Stream: Putin said, the explosions were planned at the state level

(Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the explosions that damaged two Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea last September were the work of one or more states, rejecting the idea that pro-Ukraine activists A group had carried out such an operation

Moscow has in the past condemned it as an act of “international terrorism”, specifically accusing the British Navy of sabotaging the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.

Russia complains that it is not informed of investigations launched by Denmark, Germany and Sweden.

“We asked the Danish authorities (…) to work together or create an international group of experts, experts. The answer was vague. Simply put: no answer. They said we would have to wait,” he said. Said. Vladimir Putin said.

Speaking in an interview on Russian state television, the Kremlin chief described as “absolute nonsense” a theory that a pro-Ukraine group was behind the attacks on the gas pipelines.

“You always have to ask who is interested in this … In principle, of course, the United States is interested,” he said.

Washington has strongly denied any involvement in past explosions.

Vladimir Putin said, “Any explosion of this type, of this power, at this depth, can only be carried out by experts with the support of full state powers.”

(Reporting by Caleb Davis; French edition edited by Jean Terzien, Mathieu Protard)