US says Nord Stream leaks acts of 'apparent sabotage'

WASHINGTON

Recently-discovered leaks in the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea appear to be acts of sabotage, the State Department said Wednesday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will begin discussing the "apparent acts of sabotage against the Nord Stream pipelines" with his European counterparts as soon as Wednesday, spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

"Neither of these pipelines were pumping gas into Europe at the time," he said. "And so of course, the impacts on Europe's broader energy security and energy resilience will therefore be mitigated in the short term."

"The US stands ready "to support European efforts to mitigate any potential environmental impacts," he added.

Denmark's energy agency confirmed Tuesday that it found three leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. The Russia-owned Nord Stream 2 pipeline, originating in Russia and passing under the Baltic Sea to Germany, was constructed to double the volume of gas.

As soon as the construction finished, however, Germany decided to halt operations after Russia initiated its war against Ukraine in February. Russia halted gas flow from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Aug. 31.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the leaks under the Baltic Sea which the EU said was a "result of a deliberate act."

The 15-member Council will convene Friday upon Russia's request, according to diplomats.​​​​​​​