Germany still 'occupied', claims Russia's Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the response of Germany to the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions shows that the country is still "occupied" and not able to independently act decades after it surrendered at the climax of World War Two.

In an interview on Russian television, Putin said that the leaders in European countries have been browbeaten into losing their sense of independence and sovereignty.

Western nations, including Germany, have declined to comment on who they think was responsible for the blasts.

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"The matter is that European politicians have said themselves publicly that after World War Two, Germany was never a fully sovereign state," Putin was quoted saying.

"The Soviet Union at one point withdrew its forces and ended what amounted to an occupation of the country. But that, as is well known, was not the case with the Americans. They continue to occupy Germany,” he added.

Putin claimed that the blasts on the Nord Stream gas pipelines were carried out on a "state level" and called the suggestions that it was carried out by an autonomous pro-Ukraine group "complete nonsense".

"One should always look for those who are interested. And who is interested? Theoretically, of course, the United States is interested. An explosion of this kind, of this power, at this depth, can only be carried out by specialists, and supported by the full power of the state, which has certain technologies," Putin stated.

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The pipelines were laid down to transfer Russian gas to Germany although, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, steps were taken by Berlin to decrease its reliance on Russian hydrocarbons.

Last week, Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that the blasts on the Nord Stream gas pipelines could have been a "false-flag operation to blame Ukraine".

(With inputs from agencies)

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