TASS reported that on May 5, US President Donald Trump said that Washington knew who was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, and affirmed that there was no need for any more expensive investigations.
Responding to a reporter's question at the White House about the possibility of an official investigation, Mr. Trump replied: "If I asked a few specific people, I could know immediately who was doing it, without wasting money on the investigation. I think many people know the culprit.
This statement continued to affirm Mr. Trump's long-standing view that Russia was not the culprit, contrary to accusations from some Western politicians and media.
"Is it unbelievable? They say Russia is destroying its own pipeline, Trump said in a mockery.
The US president also recalled the time he opposed the Nord Stream project during his first term: I was the one who opposed it from being built. When President Joe Biden took office, he allowed the project to continue.
At the end of September 2022, consecutive explosions severely damaged three of the four branches of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea. Swedish seismologists confirmed two clear explosions, while Russia called them an international terrorist attack and opened a criminal investigation.
Things became more complicated when famous investigative journalist Seymour Hersh accused the US Navy itself, with the support of Norway, of secretly planting explosives since June 2022. However, the Biden administration at the time denied any involvement.
No one has claimed responsibility so far, and no international investigation has reached a final conclusion.
President Donald Trump's statement now raises the question: Does the US really know the culprit but deliberately do not report it? If many people know well as Mr. Trump said, is there a layer of secretion covering up the entire event?
This statement not only confused the public, but also poses an urgent need for information transparency, especially when the Nord Stream explosion has fundamentally changed the energy and geopolitical situation of Europe over the past 2 years.
