Initial Reports on Nord Stream Leaks Point to 'Attack' or 'Sabotage', US Secretary of State Says

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a press conference on Tuesday, September 27, that initial reports on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 leaks indicated that they could be “the result of an attack or some kind of sabotage”.

Blinken was speaking alongside Indian External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the US Department of State in Washington.

He said: “The leaks are under investigation. There are initial reports indicating that this may be the result of an attack or some kind of sabotage, but these are initial reports and we haven’t confirmed that yet. But if it is confirmed, that’s clearly in no one’s interest.”

The Danish Military said on Tuesday that it had observed two leaks on the Nord Stream 1 line northeast of the island of Bornholm and one on the Nord Stream 2 line southeast of the island. Credit: US Department of State via Storyful

Video transcript

ANTONY BLINKEN: On the question on energy security, and Nord Stream in particular, a few things. The leaks are under investigation. They're initial reports indicating that this may be the result of an attack or some kind of sabotage. But these are initial reports and we haven't confirmed that yet.

But if it is confirmed, that's clearly in no one's interest. Now, my understanding is the leaks will not have a significant impact on Europe's energy resilience. And what's critical is that we are working day-in, day-out, both on a short-term basis and a long-term basis, to address energy security for Europe and for that matter, around the world.

On the question on energy security, and Nord Stream in particular, a few things. The leaks are under investigation. They're initial reports indicating that this may be the result of an attack or some kind of sabotage. But these are initial reports and we haven't confirmed that yet.

But if it is confirmed, that's clearly in no one's interest. Now, my understanding is the leaks will not have a significant impact on Europe's energy resilience. And what's critical is that we are working day-in, day-out, both on a short-term basis and a long-term basis, to address energy security for Europe and for that matter, around the world.