Kremlin says WSJ report on possible Polish involvement in Nord Stream explosion may be ‘intentional’

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Kremlin on Wednesday said a report published by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) containing information on possible Polish involvement at the Nord Stream pipeline last September may be containing such details “on purpose.”

"We cannot rule out that all this information is thrown in on purpose to divert attention from the true masterminds of this terrorist act against critical international infrastructure," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a press briefing.

Peskov said Moscow is keeping record of various leaks surrounding the incident, further indicating that each version of the leaks being thrown out “deserves attention.”

He further said Russia regrets not being able to participate in the investigation of the Nord Stream blast and reiterated Moscow’s insistence for a transparent international investigation.

Last September, underwater explosions targeted the Nord Stream 1 and the newly built Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which delivered Russian natural gas to Germany and the European region through the Baltic Sea.

Moscow accuses the West, particularly the US, of being directly involved in the blasts. It called for a UN-led international investigation into the likely sabotage, but the request was rejected.

US media reports have suggested that Washington was aware of a Ukrainian plot to blow up the gas pipelines, but Kyiv has denied any involvement.

The WSJ report released on Saturday said investigators in Germany are examining evidence that suggests Poland being used by a sabotage team as an operating base to blow up the Nord Stream pipelines.

- Russia won’t show goodwill on grain deal ‘endlessly’

Peskov further commented on the situation surrounding the Black Sea Grain Initiative, expressing that Russia will not show goodwill endlessly.

“Russia has repeatedly made gestures of goodwill, showing a very, very responsible approach. But, unfortunately, in the absence of reciprocity and the absence of the desire of the collective West to fulfill part of the agreements concerning Russia, of course, this manifestation of goodwill, political will, cannot be endless,” Peskov said.

He added that this is the reason why Russia is considering withdrawing from the grain deal, with reference to a statement made by President Vladimir Putin a day earlier during a meeting with military correspondents.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed the agreement in Istanbul last July to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were halted after the Ukraine war in February last year.

The deal has been renewed several times since then, and was extended for another two months on May 18.

Speaking at a meeting with military correspondents in Moscow, Putin said Russia was "once again deceived" and “nothing has been done” to implement its part of the agreement, due to which they are now thinking about how to "get out of this grain deal.”

During the meeting, Putin also said Moscow is considering creating a “sanitary zone” in Ukraine, concerning which Peskov said Russian military infrastructure will have to be moved to a “sanitary distance” to “ensure the safety of citizens” from Ukrainian shelling and bombing.