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Briefing Security Council, Senior Official Stresses Importance of Cooperation, Warns against Politicization of Nord Stream Investigations

Meetings Coverage
Security Council

9986th Meeting (PM)

SC/16156
26 August 2025

Nearly three years since the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, a senior United Nations official underscored that any intentional damage to critical civilian infrastructure should be condemned and investigated.

The destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022 has heightened concerns about the safety and security of critical civilian infrastructure "at a time of heightened tensions in the region", said Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. He noted that the incident has also fuelled speculation over the past years, reiterating that the United Nations has no additional details of events and is not in a position to verify or confirm any claims or reports regarding the matter.

Recalling that four leaks were reported in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines between 26 and 29 September 2022, he said the pipelines — located in international waters within the Swedish and Danish exclusive economic zones in the Baltic Sea — were not operational at the time but contained several hundred million cubic metres of natural gas.

According to a 2025 study coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), this incident resulted in the planet's largest human-caused release of methane. It concluded that the plausible range of the Nord Stream leak was anywhere from 445,000 to 485,000 tons — "more than twice as much as previously thought". According to the experts, "the Nord Stream leak contributed as much to global warming as would have 8 million cars driven for a year", he said, citing the incident as "an important reminder of the environmental impact on global warming caused by the destruction of critical infrastructure".

He noted that Danish, German and Swedish authorities have provided regular updates on their separate national investigations. As part of this investigation, the Federal Public Prosecutor General of Germany announced that a Ukrainian national was arrested in Italy on 21 August, based on a European arrest warrant requested by Germany. The Russian Federation, however, has continued to voice concerns about the ongoing German investigation, calling for an international inquiry into the Nord Stream incidents.

In the current volatile security environment, he stressed the importance of avoiding the politicization of any findings or developments, instead urging all parties to prioritize cooperation and dialogue.

Sweden, Denmark, Germany Not Cooperating with Russian Federation

The representative of the Russian Federation called for a meticulous investigation into this "terrorist act", which resulted in "unprecedented, deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure", with direct risks to both the environment and navigation in the Baltic Sea. He stressed that the inquiry must identify the perpetrators to ensure such crimes are never repeated.

Despite numerous appeals, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, conducting their respective national investigations, had chosen to exclude the international community, releasing only "snippets of information" to the media that were insufficient to form a full picture of the events. This, he said, was done under the pretext of maintaining investigative confidentiality, while all three States refused to cooperate with the Russian Federation.

As anticipated, the Danish and Swedish investigations concluded after nearly 18 months with only one finding — that "the Nord Stream pipelines had indeed been blown up" — without identifying those responsible. German investigators, he continued, were instructed to deliberately prolong the process, citing the detention of a Ukrainian national accused of belonging to the group allegedly behind the explosions.

According to this account, the operation was carried out by an autonomous group of Ukrainian amateur divers acting "almost independently" or possibly on the orders of Ukraine's former military leadership. "We are asked to believe," he said, "that in the middle of the Baltic Sea — despite a significant military presence, including NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] vessels — a group of semi-professional divers managed to plant explosives on the pipelines unnoticed." This sounds more like "the plot of a spy thriller" than a credible explanation, he added.

Moscow's Appeals Ring Hollow amid Attacks on Ukraine's Infrastructure

"We see no reason to question the impartiality, thoroughness or scope of the ongoing German investigation," countered Denmark's delegate. The explosions on pipelines connecting the Russian Federation and Germany occurred in international waters; however, because one of the explosions took place within the Danish Exclusive Economic Zone, Copenhagen's independent authorities conducted their own investigation in close cooperation with international partners. Their findings confirmed that the pipelines had been deliberately sabotaged, but concluded there were insufficient grounds to pursue a criminal case in Denmark. "No one is obstructing the Russian investigation," he emphasized.

He further noted that, while Moscow has repeatedly demanded the Council's attention on the Nord Stream incidents, it has simultaneously been carrying out systematic military attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure — rendering its professed concern for infrastructure "rather hollow".

France's representative was among many speakers criticizing the Russian Federation for its repetitive convening of unnecessary meetings such as today's, noting that they only illustrate Moscow's willingness to divert the Council's attention and resources. Investigations by Swedish and Danish authorities into the 2022 explosions cannot be said to lack transparency, and they have kept the Council informed of the findings of their in-depth, complex inquiries through various letters. Noting that those national investigations were closed last February, while that of Germany's continues, she said that, "by making the Council meet many times, the Russian Federation is putting pressure on Germany's investigation, which is unacceptable".

Similarly, the United Kingdom's delegate called on the Council to respect the integrity of national investigations, pointing out that "attempts to politicize the process or draw premature conclusions risk undermining the credibility of the legal proceedings and the cooperation between the countries involved".

Greece's delegate concurred, pointing out that the Council is not the right forum for discussions of the internal legal and judicial processes of a sovereign State, adding: "These are ongoing, confidential criminal investigations and the independence of the judiciary in Germany, as in any other country, cannot and should not be undermined or subjected to political pressure."

Investigations Should Not Be Politicized

In a contrasting address, China's representative, recalling his delegation's requests for an objective, impartial investigation to prevent such incidents from happening in the future, observed that only limited information from Sweden, Denmark and Germany's investigations being made public, leaving the public to rely on media exposés to speculate over what happened, stressing: "This is anything but normal." Calling on Germany to expedite its investigations, he stressed: "Truth should not be swept under the rug, investigations should not be politicized, and similar incidents should not be allowed to recur and perpetrators not allowed to walk free."

Algeria's delegate, taking note of the latest findings provided by Sweden, Denmark and Germany, voiced grave concern over the deliberate attack on the pipelines. Noting that his country is linked to Europe through three gas pipelines, he said that such attacks on critical infrastructure are "unacceptable under any circumstances". He called for the facts around the events to be fully determined, underscoring the need for accountability, a point echoed by the delegates of Somalia and Sierra Leone, with the latter emphasizing: "The rule of law must prevail at every stage, from investigation to prosecution, so that justice is not only done, but is seen to be done in the circumstances."

For her part, Guyana's representative, also underscoring the need for accountability for the intentional destruction of critical infrastructure, took note of the announcement of an arrest of a Ukrainian national in connection with the attacks by the Office of the Federal Prosecutor of Germany, said: "We are hopeful that this development will accelerate the path towards accountability."

Similarly, Pakistan's representative called for the strengthening of international cooperative frameworks to deter and prevent attacks on transnational infrastructure, voicing hope that the investigations, once concluded, will "reinforce the norm that all such attacks will be met with proper scrutiny and accountability in a transparent and objective manner".

For her part, Slovenia's delegate reaffirmed her condemnation of the sabotage directed towards critical undersea infrastructure, voicing concern about the severe environmental impact of the incident, believed to have caused the single largest discharge of methane ever recorded. Underscoring the need to protect critical submarine infrastructure against deliberate and accidental damage, she cited numerous such incidents in the Baltic Sea in recent years. In that context, she voiced her country's support for Germany's ongoing investigations.

Similarly, the Republic of Korea's delegate joined other speakers in underscoring the need for transparency, due process, non-politicization and cooperative engagement with investigative authorities. "Three and a half years of war in Ukraine have clearly shown how essential the protection of critical infrastructure is to international peace and stability," he stated.

The representative of Panama, Council President for the month, spoke in his national capacity to condemn any attack or act of sabotage against critical infrastructure — particularly when such actions threaten civilian populations or the environment. He emphasized the vital role of the "invisible arteries" that link millions of people across continents, enabling the uninterrupted flow of energy services. He further noted that safeguarding transnational infrastructure extends beyond energy facilities to include communication networks. Citing Panama as an example, he highlighted that eight submarine cables converge through its territory, emphasizing that "protecting this infrastructure must be a collective priority."

The representative of the United States recognized the seriousness of the incident, rejecting politicization and using the Nord Stream sabotage as a basis for levelling hyperbolic accusations and escalatory rhetoric. "Let's not focus the Council's time and attention on an incident that took place nearly three years ago, but rather on ending the war in Ukraine," he stressed, expressing full confidence in Germany's independent judicial process. He added: "President Trump has focused on one goal: Bringing about a negotiated and durable peace in Ukraine to end the human suffering. We call on Russia to focus on that goal, as well."