The White House has dismissed allegations the US was behind the explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, claiming reports to be “utterly false”.
The allegations, published by investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, said the blasts which took place last September, were carried out on orders given by President Joe Biden.
However the claims have been shut down by a spokesperson for the White House National Council, who added that it was “utterly false and complete fiction”.
The alleged findings, which have not been corroborated by Reuters, were also criticised by spokespeople for the CIA and State Department.
The US and NATO have called the incident “an act of sabotage”, while Sweden and Denmark have both concluded that the pipelines were blown up deliberately.
Neither country has spoken up on who may be responsible for the attacks.
Moscow have blamed the West for the unexplained explosions and said the US had questions to answer over its role in what may have happened.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov added that there would be “consequences” for the US, but have yet to provide any evidence.
Ryabkov also said the allegations made in the post were “not a surprise” for Moscow as it had been clear from the start who had stood to gain from sabotaging the pipelines.
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What is Nord Stream 2?
The construction of Nord Stream 2 was designed to double the volume of gas that Russia could send to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
It was completed in September 2021, but was never put into operation after Berlin shelved certification just days before Moscow sent its troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
The project costs $11 (£8bn) and runs through the Sea, beginning near Narva Bay in the Ust-Luga area of the Kingisepp district in Russia’s Leningrad region.