Kremlin 'astonished' by Tusk's words on Nord Stream sabotage

The Kremlin reacted with "astonishment and perplexity" to comments made by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk concerning the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that those who invested in and operated the pipelines were contributing to Europe's energy future and security.

Peskov characterized the act of blowing up one of the Nord Stream lines as a "terrorist act of sabotage against Europe's critical energy infrastructure." He added that if Tusk advocates for and supports such acts, it can only provoke astonishment and perplexity.

Earlier, Tusk had said that Warsaw had long opposed the Nord Stream 2 project and had done everything possible to prevent its construction, warning that it would increase Europe's dependence on Russian energy. He also suggested that German authorities should not prosecute individuals who take action in a situation where their country has been attacked.

Separately, Croatian police recently arrested another suspect in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. The suspect, identified as Ukrainian Vladímir Z., was ordered arrested by a German federal prosecutor and is suspected of involvement in an explosion, facing charges of sabotage and destruction of property.