NSC, White House Won’t Confirm Pro-Ukraine Group’s Alleged Role in Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage

Says European investigations must conclude before conclusions are drawn and 'follow-on actions' potentially taken

Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak are seen reaching surface of the Baltic Sea, near Bornholm, Denmark, on Sept. 27, 2022. Danish Defence Command/Handout via Reuters

The New York Times has reported that U.S. intelligence sources believe the September 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage may have been the work of a pro-Ukrainian group made up of Russian or Ukrainian nationals. Yet on March 7, a spokesman for the National Security Council (NSC) offered guarded answers to questions about the reports.

The NSC’s John Kirby said Germany, Sweden, and Denmark are still investigating the causes of those leaks, which disrupted a formerly crucial conduit of energy between Russia and Europe in the midst of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.