BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th April, 2023) The United States wanted to blackmail Russia by blowing up its Nord Stream gas pipelines and prevent a special military operation in Ukraine, US journalist and Pulitzer prize winner Seymour Hersh said on Monday.
"The condition was put forward shortly before the 2021 New Year, around Christmas. The idea was to find something out of the ordinary that the (US) president could use as a bait or threat to convince (Russia not to attack) ... The idea was to tell (Russian President Vladimir) Putin: 'We will blow the pipelines if you cross the border with Ukraine'," Hersh said in an interview with German magazine Tichys Einblick.
The journalist expressed his opinion that the US government wanted to convince Russia to maintain the status quo in Ukraine, but ultimately failed, due to its principle of "you are either with or against us."
The Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, built to deliver gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, were hit by explosions in September 2022. Nord Stream's operator, Nord Stream AG, said that the damage was unprecedented and it was impossible to estimate the time repairs might take.
This February, Hersh alleged that the explosions were organized by the US with the support of Norway. Following Hersh's report, Moscow reiterated its calls for an impartial and thorough investigation. The US has denied any involvement in the incident.
In early March, German news magazine Spiegel disclosed details regarding the yacht allegedly linked to the sabotage on the Nord Stream pipelines. A Bavaria Cruiser 50 sailing yacht named Andromeda was rented by unknown people, with the e-mail used for the rent hinting at connections with Ukraine, according to the report.
