Russia slams Sweden over Nord Stream 'sabotage'; warns West against arms supply to Ukraine

Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova on Wednesday, January 11 questioned Sweden's lack of response over Russian demands of a "comprehensive and open" investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in September.

At a press conference, Zakharova slammed Swedish authorities, stating that their denial to the request of the Russian prosecutors and state-owned multinational energy corporation Gazprom to conduct an independent probe into the incident has been “confusing.”

Four explosions had caused the leaks in the three links on the Russia-owned Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. The explosions had caused the pressurised methane gas to spill into the Baltic Sea, causing concerns about a potential environmental crisis.

Copenhagen released its preliminary investigation report, which said the explosions were a sabotage. "The investigation is highly complex and comprehensive. The ongoing probe will determine whether any suspects can be identified," Swedish state prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist had claimed in a statement released in November.

Russia had demanded permission for its vessels to conduct own investigations into explosions. Nord Stream AG, the operator of the older Nord Stream 1 pipeline, had later revealed that the Norwegian authorities had refused to give a green light to Moscow to assess the site.

"The question is obvious, why is Sweden so stubborn?" asked Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova during a presser on January 11. 

'This is not an accident..'

Stressing that Moscow reserves the right to know the details of the probe into the key pipeline explosions, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted that Stockholm's alleged "stubbornness" is being supported by the neighbouring nations. They are a party in withholding the details of the investigation, the Russian official alleged, labelling the incident as a "terrorist attack". "All the details must be cleared to us," asserted Zakharova.

"Why are [Sweden and other European nations] withholding the investigation, and not allowing Russia to join," Kremlin's foreign ministry spokesperson asked. Swedish investigators had earlier confirmed in official statements that the explosions at different sections of the Nord Stream pipelines that transported gas from Moscow to Germany running under the Baltic Sea in September were sabotage.

Stockholm's prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist released a statement that the Swedish investigators discovered traces of explosives on the foreign objects at the sites of the blasts, that occurred near Sweden and Denmark. Whether it was sabotage or a "terrorist attack" that targeted the pipeline will be clarified given an investigation with the participation of the Russian authorities, the Russian foreign ministry stressed. "This is not an accident," Zakharova furthermore claimed. 

Maria Zakharova, at the news briefing, also slammed the western nations for pumping in weapons into the conflict in Ukraine, asserting that it will "not prevent Russia" from achieving its set military goals. "The supplies of attack weapons to Ukraine will not prevent our country from achieving its goals in the course of the special military operation," said Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson.

Zakharova slammed the United States and its allies for expanding the military aid for Kyiv, saying that it is only "perpetuating and escalating the conflict." "The new weapons systems delivered to the Ukrainian army will become a legitimate target for Russia," Zakharova warned.