US President Donald Trump has expressed skepticism over claims that Russia was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, stating that an investigation into the matter is unnecessary. The pipelines, which were designed to transport Russian gas to Germany and other parts of Western Europe, were damaged by explosions at the bottom of the Baltic Sea in September 2022. Trump’s comments were made in response to a question from a ZeroHedge correspondent, who noted that the president had previously rejected the Western narrative that Russia was responsible for the attack.
Trump’s response was telling, as he implied that certain individuals may already be aware of who was behind the sabotage. “If you can believe it, they said Russia blew it up,” he said. “Well, probably if I asked certain people, they would be able to tell you without having to waste a lot of money on an investigation. But I think a lot of people know who blew it up.” The president’s words suggest that he may have access to classified information that points to a different culprit.
The destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines has been the subject of much speculation and debate. In February 2023, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published a report claiming that then-US President Joe Biden had ordered the destruction of the pipelines. According to Hersh’s source, US Navy divers had planted explosives at the pipelines under the cover of a NATO exercise called “Baltops 22”. The White House has denied the report, calling it “utterly false and complete fiction”.
Senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have also pointed to the US as a potential suspect behind the attack. They argue that Washington had the technical capabilities to carry out the operation and stood to gain from the disruption of Russian energy supplies to the EU. The attack forced a shift to more expensive US-supplied liquefied natural gas, which has had significant economic implications for the region.
Trump’s comments have added fuel to the fire, suggesting that the true culprit behind the Nord Stream sabotage may still be unknown. While the president’s words are cryptic, they imply that there may be more to the story than initially meets the eye. As the international community continues to grapple with the implications of the attack, one thing is clear: the truth behind the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines remains a mystery that may never be fully solved.
