Mette Frederiksen and Putin comment on the gas leak and the implications of the current situation

While Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is currently in Poland to participate in the opening of the Baltic gas pipeline, Frederiksen commented on the three leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas supply lines, saying: “It is hard to imagine that it was accidental. It is an unusual situation to have three leaks in close proximity, so it is hard to imagine that it was accidental.” She added that the opening of the Baltic pipeline has become even more important with what has happened in recent hours.

In response to a TV2 reporter's question about the Prime Minister's opinion on the leaks and the company's declaration that the damage was "unprecedented," and whether it could be sabotage, Frederiksen replied: "We certainly cannot rule that out." She also stressed that, with regard to ships and air transport, one should listen to what the authorities say.

When asked about her opinion on whether there was a link between the opening of the Baltic energy supply line and the three leaks, Frederiksen said: “It is too early to conclude, but of course we are taking everything into consideration.”.

Minister for Climate, Energy and Supply Dan Jorgensen also participated in the press conference and stated that “the leaks do not immediately change the supply situation (of energy supplies), gas storage tanks are close to full. Therefore, it has no direct impact in the short term.”.

Russian government comment
According to Reuters, the Russian government said it could not “rule out sabotage,” and Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, described the damage to the two gas pipelines as “unprecedented,” adding that Russia was “very concerned about the situation. This requires an immediate investigation because it creates a problem for the security of supply for the entire continent.”.

EU assessment of the situation and its implications

The European Union is closely monitoring the situation but will not speculate on the cause, as there is no information on whether it was an act of sabotage, according to a spokesperson for the European Commission who commented: “This is not the time to speculate on the cause. We are following developments closely with the affected member states. This has not affected gas supplies,” according to the Danish news agency Ritzau.

Unprecedented damage to gas supply lines
These statements come against the backdrop of what has been described as unprecedented damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines, according to a statement issued by the company operating Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, according to Reuters.

Denmark’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Supply confirmed on Tuesday that there were two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and one leak in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

At the same time, operator Nord Stream AG stated that it was impossible to determine when the two gas pipelines would be used again.

It is worth noting that neither of the two gas lines was operational, but they contained gas.