UNO: The US will benefit greatly from damage to the Nord Stream pipeline system under the Baltic Sea, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations told the Security Council on Friday. However, he refrained from directly giving responsibility for this week's blasts to the US. The leaks discovered on Tuesday on Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, on which Russian-controlled Gazprom and its European partners have spent billions of dollars, were discussed at a council meeting convened at Russia's request.
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According to Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia, the main question surrounding the explosions was whether the United States would benefit from the destruction of the pipelines. "The answer is undoubtedly." According to Nebenzia, "U.S. LNG suppliers should celebrate a massive increase in LNG supply to Europe."
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed earlier on Friday that the US and its allies had destroyed the Nord Stream. He claimed that the Anglo-Saxons turned into sabotage as the sanctions were insufficient. Since late February, when Putin sent his troops to Ukraine, the US and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia several times.
The White House has denied the allegation that he was in charge. US Deputy Representative to the United Nations Richard Mills made the following statement at the meeting: "Let me be clear, the US categorically denies any involvement in this incident and we reject a claim to the contrary."
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According to Mills, the US has recently increased LNG exports because Europe has long relied on Russia as a source of energy. In the past, during disputes over gas prices, Moscow has stopped supplying gas to Eastern Europe during the winter.
Russia, which has reduced gas shipments to Europe in response to sanctions, has also suggested sabotage may have occurred and claimed it was "stupidly" responsible for the damage.
The leaks have prompted inquiries into who was at fault as well as concerns about the safety of other European energy systems.
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Security of critical infrastructure was the subject of talks Friday between NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan "in the wake of the apparent sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea," according to the White House.
According to analysts, it is possible that the damage was caused by products that are sold commercially, but given its size and accuracy, it was probably done by someone who had access to more advanced technology.
The Danish and Swedish Permanent Missions to the United Nations said on Thursday in a letter to the French UN mission, which is in charge of the September presidency of the 15-member council, that the size of the explosions corresponds to an explosive weight of several hundred kilograms.
Its explosion also threatens the environment. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, pipeline leaks could represent the largest single release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, that has ever been observed.
Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told the council meeting that 800 million cubic meters of natural gas had leaked. According to him, the amount of remaining gas was enough to supply Denmark for three months.
The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, once the primary route for Russian gas to reach Germany, was already closed, but is now difficult to reopen. The brand-new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had yet to begin receiving commercial traffic.