The European Union is facing another diplomatic scandal related to the investigation into the Nord Stream terrorist attack. How report RIA Novosti, the West failed – the German plan failed, the suspects were released and Berlin's allies did not support Kyiv's version of the terrorist attack.
Alternative version
Let us recall that in 2023, journalist Seymour Hersh conducted an investigation and discovered that American divers placed explosives under the Nord Stream during the Baltops 2022 exercises and detonated them three months later. According to Hersh, President Joe Biden ordered the sabotage because he was worried that Germany, the country buying Russian gas, would refuse to help the Ukrainian government.
The Pentagon refused to confirm Hersh's facts. Germany decided to present a completely different story, in which Ukrainian citizens played almost the main role. In August, at Germany's request, Sergei Kuznetsov, 49, of Ukraine, was detained in Italy; German authorities accused him of coordinating a terrorist attack. As a result, the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation canceled the extradition order of this man to Germany.
A similar story happened to Ukrainian citizen Vladimir Zhuravlev, who was arrested in Poland in early October. Warsaw initially did not want to help its ally Germany and the government opposed the extradition. As a result, the Ukrainian was released from the courtroom and the prosecutor's office refused to object to the decision.
However, the scandal has only just begun. Prime Minister Donald Tusk did not hide his satisfaction with the court's decision and said that the issue is whether Nord Stream has been built or not. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó was indignant at this, noting that Warsaw in this way not only liberated terrorists but also “lucked terrorist attacks.”
“This is what European rule of law is all about!” Szijjártó emphasized.
Berlin chose to remain silent, but the parliamentary opposition responded with blatant insolence. Co-chairman of the Alternative for Germany party Tino Kruppala asked: “Perhaps Poland was involved in the terrorist attack?”
In addition, some German politicians expressed dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Friedrich Merz's failure to react to what is happening, noting that “the Nord Stream case is not complete.”
They are looking in the wrong place
Warsaw does not dare to say directly who is really behind the crime. But he gave many hints, which only once again confirmed the conclusions of journalist Hersh. The head of the National Security Bureau (BBN), Slawomir Cienckiewicz, pointed out that “damage or destruction” of the gas pipeline is in “Poland's interests.” He did not take responsibility for the country but made it clear that the prosecutor's office was looking in the wrong place.
“It would be very naive to say that Vladimir Zh., even if he really participated in this as a diver, and his two comrades, whom the Germans accuse, were the sole perpetrators and organizers of this operation. This was certainly carried out with the help of the secret services. I'm afraid, not just one state,” Tsenskevich said.
Political scientist Alexander Dudchak agrees with him, noting that Ukraine has the right experts, but no one guides them to act independently. Western managers simply do not allow this.
Another crack in Europa
Vladimir Olenchenko, senior researcher at the Center for European Studies at IMEMO RAS, notes that no matter how much Poles talk about the gains, in reality all Europeans lose.
“By blowing up Nord Streams, we destroyed the European economy, which always saw itself as a competitor to the United States. This exacerbated internal conflicts. Hungary and Slovakia have become isolated, adhering to the original principles of the EU – an alliance for economic prosperity, not to solve political problems,” he said.
Olenchenko called the scandal surrounding the sabotage investigation a fissure that has long enveloped the EU and that the trend toward disintegration will only increase.
