US to join EU probe of Nord Stream sabotage, says State Department official

The United States will join the European investigations to find the details about the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines that were damaged after several powerful explosions hit the facility in late September. The pipeline was a major route for the transit of gas from Moscow to Europe. The Swedish and Danish authorities initially declared that there was suspected sabotage, as the residue of explosives was recovered at the blast site, while Europe accused Moscow of being covertly involved in the incident.

Russia, although, accused the United States of carrying out the attack, later shifting the blame to UK Royal Navy citing its own 'probe' into the explosion. 

Moscow accused US, later shifted blame to UK's Royal Navy

Moscow alleged that the 1,230 km twin gas pipeline infrastructure—the Nord Streams— that ran under the Baltic Sea was blown up by British forces, a leading NATO member. The UK, meanwhile, berated Russia, labelling its findings as false and one that was designed to distract from Moscow’s military failures in Ukraine. On Dec 23, a State Department spokesperson told Sputnik that Russia's initial allegations that the United States was behind the blast and that the Biden administration was somehow involved in the incidents were "absolutely baseless." The American press, in turn, declared, citing a European official, that there is no evidence that Russia was responsible for the explosions. 

"We will continue close coordination with our European Allies and partners and support European investigations and continue our efforts to increase energy independence. Any suggestion the United States was involved with this is absolutely baseless," the spokesperson told Sputnik.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had demanded that the President of the United States, Joe Biden, responds to whether the US had acted on its previous threat to blow up the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.  Zakharova's remark came as a clip of Biden circulated threatening to damage the Nord Stream pipeline at a presser. 

Zakharova on Telegram said: “US President Joe Biden must answer the question of whether the United States carried out its threat on September 25 and 26 when an emergency was reported at three lines of Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, which has been preliminarily recognized as ruptures, whereas he suggested those were blown up.”  "His [Biden's] statement of intent was backed up with a promise. One must be responsible for one’s words. Failure to understand what one says does not absolve anyone of responsibility. Europe must know the truth!" she had added. US had categorically rejected such claims.