The Western powers have no intention of allowing an independent probe into the Nord Steam pipeline bombing, a security expert has said.
Russia's push at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a credible, independent probe into the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in September 2022 failed — despite support from China and Brazil — after other member states abstained in the vote.
Moscow's delegation pointed to the recent exposé by award-winning US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, which detailed how the White House recruited a team of former US Navy divers to plant the explosives months before they were detonated remotely.
Mark Sleboda told Sputnik that the Russian draft resolution always had "zero chances of success."
"It is obviously not an investigation that the US, the United Kingdom or France, who are all permanent members of the UN Security Council, would allow to go forward," Sleboda pointed out. "This is an internal European matter that European investigations can quietly cover up all on their own."
But the aim of Russia and its fellow BRICS group members may have been political rather than legal, the analyst said.
"I think the real goal of the Russian and Chinese efforts here is simply to draw attention to it, because they know very well who did it," Sleboda argued. "Any attempt of an independent or international investigation will not be allowed. And they're simply attempting to play into that."
The expert said that recent media reports that the pipelines were blown up by a "pro-Ukrainian" group of divers on a private yacht, quoting an anonymous US intelligence sources, was just part of the West's ongoing "information war."
"A little random Ukrainian story that the US has come up with now is just some random pro-Ukrainian set that blew up the pipeline," he scoffed.
"I think Russia and China are simply trying to keep the heat on that particular topic, even if this draft resolution has zero chances of success," Sleboda said.
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