Top Line
A top German official said Wednesday that the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline could be a “false flag operation” designed to blame Ukraine, and warned against jumping to premature conclusions about the incident. After reports emerged that pro-Ukraine actors may have been behind the blasts. Which destroyed major pipelines.
A leak from Nord Stream 2 is seen in this photo provided by the Swedish Coast Guard.
important facts
in one Interview Speaking to German public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, the country’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said a clear distinction needed to be made on whether the sabotage was carried out by a group acting on orders from Kiev or without the knowledge of Ukraine’s leadership. by a pro-Ukrainian group.
Pistorius said that there was an “equally high” possibility that the entire operation was a “false flag” to pin the blame on Ukraine.
Pistorius, who is in Stockholm to attend a meeting of EU defense ministers, also declined to speculate on how the findings of any investigation into the sabotage would affect Germany’s support for Ukraine.
Pistorius’ Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov is also attending the Stockholm meeting. dismissed reports of Ukrainian involvement, telling reporters “This is not our activity.”
German Federal Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday Said It searched a ship in January suspected of carrying explosives used to destroy pipelines.
Authorities said they seized items from the ship after a search and are still investigating the identity and motives of the suspected perpetrators, although it was unclear whether any arrests had been made.
main background
on tuesday the new York Times Reported US intelligence suggested that a pro-Ukraine group may have been responsible for carrying out the explosions that damaged major undersea pipelines carrying natural gas from Russia to Germany. According to the report, US intelligence officials believe the perpetrators were either Ukrainian or Russian citizens – or a combination of the two. Intelligence, however, found no connection between the perpetrators and the Ukrainian government, indicating that they may have been acting independently in opposition to Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin.
news peg
german newspaper Time and broadcaster ARD, citing unnamed sources, informed of The sabotage was carried out by five men and one woman. The criminals allegedly used forged passports and chartered a yacht based in Poland to carry out the sabotage. Reports said the yacht belonged to a Polish firm owned by two Ukrainians but the perpetrators' nationalities were unclear.
important quotes
German Foreign Minister Annalena Bierbock, who is visiting Iraq, also cautioned against reaching any quick conclusions. Said Berlin was "following very intensely any new reports and any insights gained by the various actors." He said that those in charge "can calmly conduct their own investigation, and that the government can reach a decision on the basis of its work rather than drawing premature conclusions." [media] Report.
trails lead to ukraine (ARD)
Nord Stream: German authorities search ship for explosives (German Wave)
Pistorius: We're giving it everything we've got (Germany Radio)
US think pro-Ukrainian group blew up Nord Stream pipelines, report says (Forbes)
Credit: www.forbes.com /