Senior Pentagon Official: US ‘Absolutely Not Involved’ in Nord Stream Damage

A senior U.S. official said the United States was not involved in the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines carrying Russian gas earlier this week.

Speaking at a briefing with reporters on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, the Pentagon official said that “the jury is still out” on what actually happened to the pipelines that carry Russian natural gas to Germany.

“Many of our partners, I think, have determined or believe it is sabotage,” the official said. “I’m just—I’m not at the point where I can tell you one way or the other.”

When asked whether any U.S. involvement could be ruled out, the official said that “we were absolutely not involved.”

Officials in Germany and the European Union have suspected that the damage to two pipelines was an act of sabotage. The incident was reported Monday evening as the lines were seen spewing natural gas into the Baltic Sea.

Danish Defense Minister Morten Bodskov met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the damage to the pipelines on Wednesday. Both said it was an act of sabotage, although they did not publicly say who could be responsible.

“There is reason to be concerned about the security situation in the Baltic Sea region,” Bodskov said in a statement to media outlets. “Russia has a significant military presence in the Baltic Sea region, and we expect them to continue their saber rattling.”

No country or nation-state has claimed responsibility for the incident. No Western country has pointed the blame at Russia, although some officials have posted to social media that Moscow was behind the incident.

“All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act,” Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, said in a statement. He continued, “Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure

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