Zelenskyy denies Ukraine’s involvement in Nord Stream 2 blasts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday denied Ukraine’s involvement in any operation related to the sabotage of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, saying Kyiv is open to cooperating with the investigation, Ukrinform reported.

“Ukraine has officially never taken part in any operation related to the blowing up of Nord Stream 2,” Zelenskyy said at the Ukraine-Nordic-Baltic Eight summit in Kyiv.

He said an investigation into the September 2022 incident is continuing, with allegations, witnesses and other evidence being examined.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine had held high-level talks with Germany on the issue, and that German officials knew Kyiv was not involved in planning or carrying out the operation.

He added that Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office and Foreign Ministry were open to dialogue with their foreign counterparts and cooperation in clarifying the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“It is very important for us not to lose our partnership or the trust of European countries that have supported Ukraine since the beginning of this war,” Zelenskyy said.

A Ukrainian national has been arrested in Croatia in connection with the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, marking the second major arrest after former Ukrainian soldier in the ongoing investigation, German authorities announced this week.

Prosecutors said Vladimir Z., a trained scuba diver, worked alongside a team to destroy the Baltic Sea pipelines built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany.

The arrest marked a key breakthrough in the probe into the undersea explosions, which severed three of the four Nord Stream pipelines and effectively halted direct Russian gas imports to Germany.

- Air defense and secure funding for Ukraine

Speaking about the Ukraine war, Zelenskyy urged Nordic and Baltic countries to help strengthen Kyiv’s air defenses, secure funding and maintain pressure on Russia, according to his office.

Zelenskyy said ballistic missiles remained Ukraine’s main threat, and called for rapid progress on the FREYJA joint antiballistic defense program.

He said Ukraine faces a $27 billion defense funding shortfall, including about $10 billion needed to ensure weapons supplies in the first quarter of 2027, and urged European partners to advance credit financing.

Zelenskyy also called for tougher sanctions on Russian companies and individuals involved in ballistic missile production, and urged support for Ukraine’s energy and gas needs ahead of winter.

He called for continued pressure on Russia over attacks on Ukrainian ports, and urged greater access for Ukrainian food exports to European markets.