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| This photograph, obtained on Wednesday by a Swedish Coast Guard aircraft and released on Thursday, shows a gas leak from Nord Stream 1 in the Baltic Sea off southern Sweden. (Reuters/TT News Agency/Swedish Coast Guard) |
NATO, a military alliance, issued a warning on Thursday that it would respond violently to any attacks on the vital infrastructure of its 30 members, joining other Western officials in claiming that sabotage was most likely to blame for the destruction of two gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
The warning was issued as the Swedish coast guard reported a fourth pipeline leak off the coast of southern Sweden, which is applying to join NATO. Energy corporations and European governments increased security after the first pipeline leaks from Russia to Germany were reported on Tuesday.
Natural gas prices, which were already skyrocketing, are now under much more pressure due to concerns over future harm to Europe's energy infrastructure. Deliveries from Russia, a significant supplier to Europe, were stopped early this year as retribution for the sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine. The continent has experienced significant economic suffering as a result.
While some allies, like Poland, and many experts have said they believe that Russia is responsible, NATO ambassadors refrained from saying who they thought was responsible in a statement that stated that "any deliberate attack against allies' critical infrastructure would be met with a united and determined response."
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