UNSC rejects Russian resolution demanding probe into Nord Stream blast

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday rejected Russia's resolution calling for an independent inquiry into last year's sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Three UNSC members, namely Russia, China and Brazil, voted yes for the resolution, while the remaining 12 members abstained from voting. As per AFP the resolution called for the creation of a commission to "conduct a comprehensive, transparent and impartial international investigation of all aspects of the act of sabotage on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, including identification of its perpetrators, sponsors, organisers and accomplices."

Russia blames the West of sabotage, however, western countries have blamed last September's Baltic sea explosion on Moscow. Even six months after the blast, the identity of whoever is behind it remains a mystery.

Watch |The Nord stream mystery deepens, here's a special report

"We have serious and very well-founded doubt as to the objectiveness and transparency of national investigations conducted by some European states," said Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia. Kremlin claims to have been left out of the previous investigations conducted by Sweden, Germany and Denmark, all of which have rejected Russia's accusations of sabotage.

Nebenzia, as per AFP, pointed to "increasing suspicions," that the three probes were trying "not to shed light on what happened with the acts of sabotage, but rather to hide evidence and to clean up the crime scene."

He alleged that the rejection of the Russian resolution made obvious who was behind the sabotage.

"I think that after today's vote, suspicion as to who is behind the act of sabotage on the Nord Stream is just obvious," he said.

Nevertheless, several UNSC members assured Sweden, Germany and Denmark of their confidence in the countries' investigations and denounced Russia's allegations, dismissing them as a Russian attempt to "discredit investigations" and divert attention from the ongoing attack in Ukraine.

As Deputy US ambassador Robert Wood puts it: "It was an attempt to discredit the work of ongoing national investigations and prejudice any conclusions they reached that do not comport to Russia's predetermined and political narrative."

(With inputs from agencies)

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