NATO speaks of “sabotage” of Nord Stream and defends protecting allies’ critical infrastructures

Follow live the latest news on the war in Ukraine

BRUSSELS, Sep 28 (EUROPE PRESS) –

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday referred to the gas leaks in the Nord Stream pipeline as an episode of “sabotage”, in line with the response of the European Union and the United States that point to a deliberate act.

In a conversation with Danish Defense Minister Morten Bodskov, NATO’s political chief has discussed the incidents recorded in the Baltic Sea, which he has labeled as “sabotage” against Denmark, although he has avoided attributing it to a third country.

“We have addressed the protection of critical infrastructure in NATO countries,” he has indicated in a message on social networks.

Denmark raised the alarm on Tuesday after detecting a gas leak in one of the sections of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline on the Danish island of Bornholm. Hours later, the Nord Stream 1 underwater pipeline detected a drop in the pressure of the gas coming from Russia sent to Germany and affecting the two lines of the pipeline.

Precisely the need to shield infrastructures, industry and public institutions against foreign interference is one of the issues that NATO has been stressing since the coronavirus pandemic.

This has been advocated by Stoltenberg in recent years, in an attempt to take a more holistic view of allied resilience, as evidenced by the adaptation of NATO’s baseline requirements for civilian planning for future crises. At all times, the Atlantic Alliance has been open to helping strengthen the preparedness of its members in the face of potential “vulnerability” of some allies.