On Thursday, Russia criticized Stockholm for withholding information in the ongoing investigations into the explosions and questioned whether Stockholm had “anything to hide” regarding explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines the previous year.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which connect Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea and have become a flashpoint in the Ukraine crisis, have four holes that Swedish and Danish officials are looking into.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, called Sweden’s unwillingness to cooperate with Russian investigators “confusing” and asserted that Moscow had a right to know the specifics of the investigation into the explosions, which took place last September.
Moscow suggested to Stockholm the creation of a joint probe into the explosions, which might result in the permanent suspension of three of the four lines of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas projects. But the involvement of Russia has been opposed by both Sweden and Denmark.
Zakharova made the suggestion that there were justifications for that choice during a briefing on Thursday in Moscow.
“If Russian authorities were to do a fair inquiry, they might reach an unfavorable conclusion regarding who was responsible for this act of terrorism and sabotage. Whoever came up with it and whoever did it, “She informed the press.
Insinuating that “the Swedish authorities have something to hide,” Zakharova claimed that Sweden was “concealing” information regarding what it had learned during the probe.
Investigators from Sweden and other European nations claim that the attacks were planned, but they have not identified the perpetrators. Moscow has attributed the explosions to Western sabotage without offering any supporting data.
After Nord Stream 2’s construction was finished in September 2021, it was never put into service since Berlin withdrew its certification just days before Moscow sent soldiers into Ukraine in February.
