Washington dismisses Moscow’s finger of blame for gas leaks

COPENHAGEN (AFP) — Moscow questioned Wednesday whether Washington caused mystery undersea gas pipeline leaks in Europe, that have been blamed on sabotage, which U.S. officials bluntly called ridiculous as Russia opened a “terrorism” probe.

The three outflows from the Russia-Germany Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have sent natural gas prices soaring, exacerbating an energy crunch in Europe as it stands on the threshold of winter also fanning geopolitical tensions.

Swedish intelligence announced it was opening an investigation into the massive leaks in the Baltic Sea, branding them “aggravated sabotage,” hours after the EU called the damage a “deliberate act.”

Russia’s FSB security service said it had launched an “international terrorism” investigation, the Russian prosecutor’s office announced, citing “intentional actions” to damage the pipelines.

Amid the claims and counter claims, the U.N. Security Council said it will meet Friday — at Russia’s request — to discuss the leaks.

“As the current Security Council president France has informed us today that Russia has requested a meeting about the Nord Stream leaks and this meeting is being planned for Friday,” Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde told a press conference.

Russian representative Dmitry Polyanskiy said the meeting would take place at 3 p.m. (1900 GMT) at U.N. headquarters in New York.

The question of who is responsible has prompted high-level finger-pointing, with Moscow charging the United States had already said Nord Stream 2 was “finished” if Russia invaded Ukraine.

President Joe “Biden is obliged to answer the question of whether the U.S. carried out its threat,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on social media.

Washington dismissed the suggestion, with a spokeswoman for the National Security Council saying: “We all know Russia has a long history of spreading disinformation and is doing it again here.”

Among Western allies, suspicion for the leaks has focused on Russia, which has cut gas supplies to Europe in retaliation for severe Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

They “are not a coincidence,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated.

“All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act.”

He warned: “Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.”