NATO formally blames sabotage for Nord Stream pipeline damage
Live MintNATO said that a series of leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Europe were the result of acts of sabotage and that attacks on its members’ infrastructure would be met with a collective response from the military alliance. But it marks the first time the alliance has formally warned that it would deter and defend against attacks on its members’ critical infrastructure following the now four documented leaks in the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. NATO members have long been concerned about attacks on what they deem critical infrastructure, a term that has come to include telecommunications networks but also encompasses energy pipelines like the two Nord Stream projects. The project, pushed by Mr. Putin and Germany’s then-Chancellor Angela Merkel, was launched in 2011 despite protests by Eastern European and Ukrainian leaders who said it would give Russia additional leverage over European energy markets.