Czech defends Ukraine, Germany opposes, strongly declares sabotage a "crime"

On August 26, the German government objected to the Czech authorities' view that the Nord Stream gas pipeline could be a "legitimate target" for Ukraine.

The Nord Stream gas pipeline sabotage occurred in September 2022. (Source: AFP)

Czech President Petr Pavel previously told the Novinky newspaper that Nord Stream is a “legitimate goal” for Ukraine.

Armed conflict is waged “not only against military targets, but also against strategic targets,” and gas pipelines can be considered as such, he noted.

Asked by reporters whether the German government agreed that if Ukraine was behind the sabotage of these gas pipelines, this was a legitimate target, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said: "No."

TASS news agency quoted him as emphasizing: “This is a crime and this crime will be investigated.”

According to him, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has made this clear in negotiations with the Czech side as well as with many other international partners, while the German Prosecutor General's Office is continuing the investigation.

On August 16, Mr. August Hanning, former Director of the German Intelligence Agency from 1998-2005, revealed to Die Welt newspaper that Polish President Andrzej Duda and his Ukrainian counterpart Vlodymyr Zelensky seemed to have agreed to "cooperate" in sabotaging underwater pipelines because this action could not be just a solo effort.

He called on German leaders to demand compensation from Kiev and Warsaw for the damage caused by the gas pipeline explosions if any connection was found.

On August 14, German prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diving instructor, named as Volodymyr Z., accused of being one of the perpetrators who planted explosive devices in the Nord Stream pipelines.

Germany requested the arrest of the suspect across Europe in June. His last known residence was in Poland.

Meanwhile, the Polish National Prosecutor's Office said it had received an arrest warrant requested by Germany, but the suspect was not arrested because he had left Poland for Ukraine in early July.

German investigators have also identified two more Ukrainians, a man and a woman, who are believed to have served as divers during the attacks. However, no arrest warrants have been issued for them.

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines carrying gas under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of explosions in September 2022. The explosions affected three of the four Nord Stream pipelines.

Russia blamed the US, UK and Ukraine for causing the explosions, but all three countries denied the accusations.

Germany, Denmark and Sweden conducted independent investigations, and Sweden found traces of explosives on several objects recovered from the scene and confirmed that the explosions were intentional. Sweden and Denmark closed their investigations in February, but without identifying any suspects.

In January 2023, Germany inspected a ship it said could have been used to transport explosives, and told the United Nations that divers may have been trained to attach explosive devices to pipes, at a depth of about 70-80 meters.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/su-co-dong-chay-phuong-bac-czech-noi-do-cho-ukraine-duc-phan-doi-tuyen-bo-gay-gat-vu-pha-hoai-la-toi-ac-284011.html