Russia failed on Monday to persuade the UN Security Council to demand an independent investigation into the explosions in September of the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany, which pumped gas into the Baltic Sea.
Only Russia, China and Brazil voted in favor of the Moscow-drafted resolution, while the other 12 council members abstained.
In order for a resolution to be adopted in the Security Council, at least nine members must vote in favor of it, provided that none of its five permanent members, Russia, China, France, the United States and Britain, veto it.
These developments come at a time when Russia is still arguing about its involvement in the bombings that caused international tension last year.
It is noteworthy that Sweden and Denmark, in which the explosions took place in their exclusive economic zones, had previously concluded, following their investigations, that the pipelines had been deliberately blown up, but they did not determine who was responsible, after four large leaks were detected last September, in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 lines off Bornholm Island. Danish, two in Swedish economic waters, and two more in Danish waters.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the two lines linking Russia with Germany have been at the center of geopolitical tensions after Moscow’s decision to cut off gas supplies to Europe in response to Western sanctions imposed on it, due to the military operation it launched on the territory of the western neighbor on February 24.
