The Wall Street Journal writes that Polish authorities are not cooperating in the investigation into the Nord Stream explosions, and international investigators are now hoping that the new Polish government will help shed light on the sabotage of the pipelines.
In September 2022 the Nord Stream explosions took place. The German government called the leaks deliberate sabotage. European authorities then launched an investigation.
Investigators told the Wall Street Journal that Polish officials withheld important evidence related to the presence of alleged saboteurs on Polish territory.
European investigators had long suspected that the attack occurred through Poland. However, since Warsaw does not cooperate enough, it is difficult to determine whether the attack was carried out with the knowledge of the former Polish government.
Some European officials say they are now turning to the office of Poland’s new prime minister, Donald Tusk, for support in investigating the act of sabotage.
Just days after taking office, Tusk fired intelligence chiefs, including intelligence officers involved in the Nord Stream investigation. Polish prosecutors overseeing the national investigation said authorities were cooperating with other countries and had found no evidence that Poland was involved in the explosions.
An investigation by Germany, Denmark and Sweden found that the explosions were carried out by a team of six people. This team used a ship called Andromeda. According to investigators, the ship also stopped in Poland. Warsaw only shared this information with European investigators last March, and did so only after their German counterparts contacted them personally. At the beginning of January, Dutch military intelligence had informed Berlin that the ship was in Poland. The Netherlands received this information from Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported.
According to European officials, German investigators had to wait at least two months before meeting their Polish counterparts. The Germans then had the impression that some Polish colleagues did not want to collaborate.
In September, a senior Polish official, Stanislaw Zaryn, denied that the Andromeda’s crew was behind the sabotage. According to him, the team did not have the necessary training and were tourists looking for fun. Zaryn recently said that Russia was probably behind the sabotage. Zaryn resigned in December when a new government took office in Poland.
Nord Stream pipes started leaking in September 2022. Therefore, Russia further reduced gas supplies to Europe. Investigators found no evidence that the Polish government had anything to do with the explosions. Investigators say that although some Polish officials were involved, the government was unaware of their plans. Ukraine also denies its involvement in the explosions. Russia, however, said the United States was responsible for the attack, while Washington rejected Moscow’s accusations.
2024-01-08 15:43:00
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