MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Monday that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was right to want a thorough investigation into a 2022 attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines despite what it said were attempts by some Western powers to hush up what really happened.
Scholz said in an interview with German television over the weekend that Berlin’s investigation would make sure that nothing was concealed and do its best to ensure that those responsible for the blasts were punished.
Moscow has repeatedly complained that Germany has not been doing enough to investigate the explosions, which in September 2022 ruptured the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that were built to carry Russian gas to Europe under the Baltic Sea.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday welcomed Scholz’s latest comments.
“We absolutely agree that the terrorist attack, the sabotage of the Nord Streams must be thoroughly investigated, despite the desperate attempts of some states involved in this story to hush it up,” Peskov told reporters on Monday, without naming the countries he was accusing of a cover-up.
“Under no circumstances should this (a cover-up) be allowed to happen,” he said.
No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts which occurred seven months after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
Moscow – without providing evidence – has repeatedly said the attack was carried out by the United States and Britain, both of whom have denied the allegations.
German prosecutors last month said they had issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diving instructor in Poland in connection with the attacks.
Polish prosecutors said they had received the German warrant but that the suspect had already left the country as Berlin did not include his name in a database of wanted persons.
Separately, asked by reporters on Monday about Scholz’s proposals for a Ukraine peace plan, Peskov said that Moscow did not know the details.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; editing by Andrew Osborn)
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