The countdown begins in the Baltic Sea. The maritime space has become the epicenter of the geopolitical board this week after being the scene of four almost simultaneous leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines that cross it to connect Russia and Germany. Still full of gas despite the stoppage of Russian gas deliveries, the infrastructures continue to release their contents, creating boils several hundred meters above the surface.
The operator of Nord Stream 1, located in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), told Reuters leaks from the pipeline were expected to end on Monday. According to the Danish authorities, whose EEZ hosts Nord Stream 2, half of the gas has already leaked and the remaining amount is expected to leave the pipelines by the end of the weekend. In the course of the next week, the two countries should be able to get closer to the sites of the explosions and thus take a big step in their respective investigations.
Several open investigations
However, they are far from the only ones who want to shed light on this notorious geostrategic episode. While the Swedish Security has opened an investigation for “aggravated sabotage”, Russia has done the same for “act of international terrorism” in reaction to the suspicions of Western countries that quickly resorted to it.
But the investigation is also creeping east out of the Baltic Sea, according to Dmitri Peskov, who cites a “reluctance” on the part of several countries to trade with Russia. The European Union is also investigating for its part after having sided with the hypothesis of sabotage through the intermediation of the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
An Emergency Security Council on Friday
After days of skirmishes between the United States and Russia, Moscow called for an exceptional Security Council to be held this Friday.
It must be said that the tension has risen a notch around Russia during the week. At the Annual Colloquium of the Renewable Energy Union in Paris, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, said that he “would not ask Detective Hercule Poirot to investigate this”: “It is very obvious […] Who is behind this problem?
Hours later, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged caution and patience: “Regarding the attack, or damage to the pipeline, at this point I think there’s a lot of speculation. But frankly, Until a full investigation is done, no one will be able to determine for sure what happened.”
Source: BFM TV
