Germany, together with Denmark and Sweden, will set up a joint team to investigate the leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced today.
In an interview with the newspaper Bild am Sonntag, Faeser announced that she has an agreement with her Swedish and Danish counterparts to “set up a joint investigation team under EU law”. The team will call on the expertise of “the navy, the police and the intelligence services,” the minister said. According to Faeser, “everything points to an act of sabotage”.
Yesterday Faeser had already said that Germany will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea in consultation with Sweden and Denmark. Today, she added that German security services will also monitor critical energy infrastructure domestically with “increased vigilance”. According to her, there is currently no concrete information about threats to German sites.
Have the pipes been sabotaged?
Since Monday, four leaks have been discovered in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. At least two explosions had taken place underwater. All eyes are on Russia, which denies any responsibility for the explosions and points the finger of blame at the West.
The pipeline leaks and the protection of critical infrastructure in the European Union will also be discussed at an informal summit of heads of state and government in Prague next week. This was announced today by European Council President Charles Michel after a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
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