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United Nations, March 28 (AP) — The United Nations Security Council on Monday rejected a request by Russia to investigate an explosion in a pipeline carrying natural gas from Russia to Europe under the Baltic Sea.
Russia, China and Brazil voted in favor of Russia’s request, but other council members either abstained or said another investigation was unnecessary.
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Adoption of a resolution by the U.N. Security Council requires at least nine affirmative votes in the 15-member council and no negative votes from any of the permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.
Deputy U.S. ambassador Robert Wood said the Swedish, Danish and German investigations “are being conducted in a comprehensive, transparent and impartial manner” and therefore did not require a U.N. investigation.
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“This is an attempt to discredit the work of the ongoing national investigations and to bias any conclusions they draw that do not fit into Russia’s pre-determined political narrative. This is not an attempt to seek the truth,” he said.
The pipelines, known as Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, are majority-owned by Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom.
Nord Stream 1 carries Russian gas to Germany until Moscow cuts off supplies at the end of August 2022. The Nord Stream 2 was never put into service because Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Both explosions occurred on September 26.
Investigations in European countries have not yet yielded conclusive results, at least not publicly.
Both pipelines bypass existing routes through Ukraine, meaning Ukraine could lose revenue from transit fees and be unable to use the gas they transport directly. The Nord Stream pipeline is seen as an effort by Russia to further control Europe’s energy supplies.
Some say the explosion caused the worst methane emissions in history.
Reports published by The New York Times, The Washington Post and German media cited U.S. and other officials as saying there was evidence that Ukraine, or at least Ukrainians, might be responsible. The Ukrainian government has denied any involvement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed allegations that Ukrainians may have been behind the bombings as “pure nonsense” and pointed the finger at the United States. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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