Putin denies possible role of Ukraine in gas pipeline attack

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called “pure nonsense” the hypothesis that Ukrainians could be behind the explosions that damaged Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea last year, and said again blamed the United States.

Putin was speaking after the New York Times, Washington Post and German media published articles last week quoting unnamed US officials and others saying there was evidence that Ukraine, or at least some Ukrainians , could have been responsible. The Ukrainian government has denied any involvement.

German newspaper Die Zeit and German public broadcasters ARD and SWR reported that investigators believe five men and a woman used a yacht rented by a Ukrainian company in Poland to carry out the attack. German federal prosecutors confirmed that a vessel was searched in January, but did not confirm the finds noted.

Putin dismissed this possibility as “pure nonsense”.

“An explosion like this, so powerful and at such depth, can only be carried out by experts backed by the full potential of a state that has the necessary technologies,” he said in televised statements. .

The Russian president insisted the United States had reason to stage an attack, saying Washington wanted to stop the supply of cheap Russian natural gas to Germany and supply it with more expensive liquefied natural gas.

The Kremlin said last week that allegations of Ukrainian involvement in the blasts were a cover-up by the West.

Putin on Tuesday mocked European governments for keeping quiet about the incident, calling their attitude a reflection of what he described as Europe’s slavish stance toward the United States.

“Europeans have lost the gene of independence, sovereignty and national interest,” Putin said with a smile. “The more they get hit on the nose or the top of the head, the more they bend down and the more they smile.”

The September explosions that damaged the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines rendered them inoperative and caused major gas leaks that remained in the pipelines. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

US officials initially hinted that Russia might be responsible. Moscow, for its part, blamed the United States and Britain. Investigations by European countries such as Denmark, through whose waters the pipeline passes, and Germany have not yet yielded conclusive results.