(IntegrityPress.org) – Denmark has chosen to close its investigation into the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines. This decision comes right after Sweden closed its own investigation.
The pipelines were used mainly to transport gas from Russia to Europe. The explosions occurred in the Swedish and Danish territories in September 2022, during high tensions between Russia and the West due the ongoing war in Ukraine. They damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea. The incident resulted in significant amounts of methane leaking into the ocean. It occurred as Europe sought to reduce dependence on Russian energy sources amid the conflict, damaging Russia’s main natural gas supply route to Germany, which ended up increasing tensions.
Even though the source of the explosions still remains unknown, both Sweden and Denmark have now abandoned their investigations. Denmark’s police stated that there is not enough to go on for a criminal case, leading to the conclusion of the criminal investigation. Sweden had also dropped its investigation, citing a lack of jurisdiction but providing evidence to German investigators. Germany has not released any findings as of 2024.
Russia and the West have blamed each other for the blasts, but no party has claimed responsibility. At this point, most of the countries involved are simply pointing fingers at each other. Russia accused the US of staging the explosions, calling it a terrorist attack. The US denied any involvement.
Russia also criticized Denmark’s decision, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov calling it absurd. He claimed that Denmark knew the explosion was most likely sabotage and did not pursue more in their investigation because of Denmark’s close ties with its allies, namely the US.
The Nord Stream pipelines were controversial as their existence showed Europe’s increasing reliance on Russian gas. The leaks also caused a significant environmental disaster, with local wildlife being affected heavily because of the methane gas released into the ocean.
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