The European Union believes sabotage is the likely cause of leaks from the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines and is threatening countermeasures, its top diplomat Josep Borrell said on behalf of all member states.
“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,” Borrell said in a statement. “These incidents are not a coincidence and affect us all.”
According to Borrell, all of the available information indicated that the leaks were 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 said.
Borrell said that any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and would be met with a “robust and united response.”
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attributed the leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines to acts of sabotage and said he had discussed the protection of critical infrastructure in NATO countries with the Danish defense minister.