US Denials Over Nord Stream Attacks ‘Illogical’ Given Threats, Motive - Ex-Pentagon Aide

WASHINGTON, October 3 (Sputnik) - US denials of involvement in the Nord Stream attacks defy logic in light of previous threatening statements and the extent to which the United States benefits from the destruction of the pipelines, former Pentagon adviser and military tactician Douglas Macgregor told Sputnik.

On Friday, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia during a Security Council meeting said US gas suppliers stand to gain the most by shutting down the pipelines and called on the US to confirm it was not involved in the sabotage. Biden earlier told reporters the attack was a deliberate act of sabotage and the US would help in the investigation.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday acknowledged that Biden in early February vowed to work with allies to ensure that Nord Stream 2 would not become operational, but denied the US was involved in the attacks.

"The Biden administration's protestations [that] they had nothing to do with it are illogical given prior statements, and how it moves the pieces on the board," Macgregor, a retired US Army Colonel, said.

The sabotage of the pipelines, he added, had dealt a major blow to Germany's industrial economy and forced it in the short term to become more dependent than ever on the United States.

"The fact we have now removed options from Germany is a brilliant point," Macgregor said. "It is important because it highlights the manipulation and who 'wins' from destruction of the pipeline."

Macgregor also said the Russians, of course, would not destroy the main source of hard currency feeding their economy.

The United States has not yet been asked to provide assistance in the investigation into the potential sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Europe, a senior US military official said on Monday.

"As I understand it, the investigation continues by our European partners in the region. To my knowledge, we’ve not been asked to provide any specific capabilities from [the Defense Department] at this time," the military official said.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin offered such assistance last week and the US continues to be ready to provide it, the official added.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists the issue of further cooperation on the restoration of the Nord Stream pipeline remains unclear given the "hysterically antagonistic" position of the entire collective West.

On September 26, a rapid gas pressure drop and leakage of fuel were registered on two Nord Stream pipelines that play a key role in the transition of Russian gas to Europe. The Swedish and Danish authorities said they had discovered two gas leaks, with the consensus being that the incident was a result of sabotage.

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office is investigating the pipeline incidents as acts of international terrorism.