New findings in Nord Stream sabotage case may sway Europe’s perception of Ukraine — expert

NEW DELHI, August 19. /TASS/. Information pointing to the Kiev regime’s involvement in the Nord Stream blasts may impact how the European public sees Ukraine and create difficulties for EU governments, President of the New Delhi-based analytical center Imagindia Institute Robinder Sachdev told TASS.
“This report could influence public opinion about Ukraine in Europe, potentially causing future difficulties for European governments if public fatigue over the Ukraine war grows,” he said.
According to the expert, information on Ukraine’s involvement in the attacks on gas pipelines “may lead European leaders, especially in Germany, to reconsider their support for Ukraine, but it is unlikely to drastically change the overall backing.” “The strategic objective of supporting Ukraine, driven by the US and NATO, remains strong. European leaders might overlook the evidence to avoid jeopardizing the war effort, though these revelations could strain relations if confirmed,” the analyst explained.
Sachdev also thinks that “under normal circumstances, an attack of this scale could justify invoking NATO’s collective defense clause, making it ironic that Germany’s critical infrastructure was targeted by a country it heavily supports with weapons and financial aid.”
On August 14, Suddeutsche Zeitung, citing a joint investigation with the ARD TV channel and Die Zeit, reported that Germany’s Prosecutor General’s office issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diving instructor, suspected of being involved in the Nord Stream explosions. According to the newspaper, another two Ukrainian diving instructors are also suspected of being involved in this act of sabotage. The German media accused Poland of failing to assist in the investigation.
In turn, the Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky approved the plan to blow up the gas pipelines but tried to cancel his decision after the CIA found out about it.
On September 27, 2022, Nord Stream AG reported unprecedented damage that occurred the day before on three strings of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm. On September 26, 2022, Swedish seismologists registered two explosions on the pipeline routes. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office launched a criminal case in connection with the incident based on charges of international terrorism.