Several Members Call Out Russian Federation for Wasting Organ's Time, Resources while Moscow Destroys Ukraine's Infrastructure
Two years after the September 2022 explosions that severely damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, the Security Council met today at the request of the Russian Federation, who, in the absence of a briefer, assessed national investigations into the blasts, while criticizing the lack of conclusive findings and the 15-member organ's collective action on the matter.
"Stockholm and Copenhagen have stated the obvious - that the gas pipelines were blown up" and that "it was not possible to continue the criminal proceedings within their countries' jurisdictions", said the Russian Federation's representative, recalling the completed investigations announced by Sweden and Denmark in February.
He criticized Western colleagues for asserting that those investigations were effective and met the highest standards of the rule of law, and for now trying to convince the Council that Germany's ongoing investigation is effective and transparent. German authorities' failure to date to provide information, not even interim results, raises doubts and has resulted in media conjecture, which must be countered with facts, he emphasized.
Voicing disappointment, he said that Moscow's requests for legal assistance, as an affected party, sent to all three States were simply ignored. Similarly, all attempts by the Russian Federation to reach a Council agreement calling on Germany to make transparent and expedite its investigation were "always blocked by the U.S. and its allies", who urge that no pressure be exerted on German investigators.
Lamenting the lack of collective decision or Council statements, as well as an apparent cover-up, he further criticized Western colleagues' "duplicitous manoeuvres to obstruct" the Council's work and said the Russian Federation will not be deterred in establishing the truth, determining who is responsible for the explosions and punishing them.
Several delegations excoriated the Russian Federation for calling yet another meeting on the topic and wasting the Council's time and resources. They expressed full support for Germany's ongoing investigation and called out Moscow for its hypocrisy in decrying the Nord Stream explosions while continuing to systematically attack Ukrainian water and energy infrastructure.
The representative of France pointed out that the Russian Federation was not considering the convergent concerns expressed by many Council members in discussions under way on the presidential statement. Moreover, its characterization of the explosions as a terrorist attack, which prejudges the outcome, requires the establishment of facts, he added.
The speaker for the United States, disputing the Russian Federation's accusation that his country was involved, stressed: "There is no shred of evidence of U.S. involvement and there never will be because the United States was not involved."
The best way to get answers is to support Germany's ongoing national investigation, emphasized the representative of the United Kingdom. The Council should focus its efforts on supporting the process rather than engaging in unhelpful speculation or trying to undermine it.
Countering this view, however, were speakers who criticized the national investigations. Mozambique's delegate, noting that progress on the file, "much like the investigations themselves", has remained largely stalled over the past two years, voiced concern over the way national jurisdictions have handled the issue, as well as the reported lack of coordination and information-sharing. As a result, there is "international speculation that the investigation is being deliberately protracted due to the potential diplomatic repercussions and the risk of escalation should the perpetrators' identities be revealed", he pointed out, calling for a transparent and conclusive investigation.
China's representative echoed that view and called on countries concerned to actively communicate and cooperate with the Russian Federation and avoid politicizing the investigation. The Russian delegation's proposed draft presidential statement on the Nord Stream pipeline explosions is "generally balanced" and reflects all parties' concerns, he said, voicing hope that all parties will intensify consultations and reach agreement on the draft as soon as possible. He also called on the Council to keep its attention on this matter and not allow it to "fade away".
Speakers also expressed concern over the economic and social costs of the blasts, as well as the environmental impact of the attack on critical undersea infrastructure. Among them was Slovenia's representative, who voiced support for action in the framework of the UN in relation to the security of such infrastructure, including Nord Stream pipelines. As well, she voiced support for existing national investigations into the incident, including the ongoing efforts by German authorities.
Guyana's delegate voiced concern over the grave ecological risks posed to marine life by the "criminal attacks" on the pipeline, noting that the German authorities have issued an arrest warrant in connection with the matter and that an investigation is ongoing.
Looking ahead to the future of investigations into the Nord Stream pipeline explosions, Algeria's representative voiced support for the investigation by German authorities as well as a potential UN investigation. Any future international effort, particularly under the auspices of the United Nations, could shed further light on those attacks, he pointed out.
Malta's representative, however, disagreed, stating that "seeking to introduce further investigations at this time could be counterproductive and may risk undermining the work of the German authorities". Moreover, she urged Council members to avoid language that imposes timelines on ongoing investigations.
The delegate of the Republic of Korea, echoing other speakers, reiterated his country's opposition to attacks or sabotage of critical infrastructure and stressed the need for accountability. He voiced support for ongoing national investigations by relevant authorities, including the German authorities, seeking fact-based conclusions related to the deliberate sabotage of the pipelines.
Ecuador's representative concurred with those who warned against the dangers of actions and proposals that would make events more difficult to clarify. Therefore, his delegation awaited the conclusions of the ongoing investigation by Germany. However, given the seriousness of the incident and the time elapsed, he said, "no options should be ruled out if they contribute to getting to the truth with the cooperation of interested parties".
