Germany’s right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) has called for an international investigation into the “sabotage of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines”, while also backing their repair and reopening.AfD co-chairman Tino Chrupalla said the party wanted the attacks to be investigated at the international, national and European levels and for those responsible to be held accountable. The party has previously called for a parliamentary inquiry into the blasts.The latest comments came four years after explosions damaged three of the four Nord Stream pipeline strings in the Baltic Sea on September 26, 2022. The circumstances and responsibility for the sabotage have remained the subject of investigations and competing claims.Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev subsequently welcomed Chrupalla’s position on X, saying Russia and Germany could jointly reopen Nord Stream. His comments represent the Russian side’s position and are not evidence that the pipelines will be reopened.Meanwhile, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul met in New York on Saturday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, marking the first meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers since before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.Relations between Moscow and Berlin have remained deeply strained since the invasion, with Germany emerging as a strong supporter of Ukraine. Tensions have also intensified following an alleged drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany in August. Berlin has blamed Russia for the incident, while Moscow has rejected the allegation.The meeting offered little indication of a broader thaw in relations. Lavrov said Wadephul had not presented any position that Berlin had not already made public.Wadephul reiterated Germany’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine and urged Moscow to abandon what he described as a dangerous course of escalation towards Germany, Europe and NATO. He said incidents such as the alleged drone attack at Leipzig airport would not weaken Berlin’s support for Ukraine.Earlier this month, Germany said Russia was responsible for the attempted drone attack and announced the closure of a Russian consulate and cultural centre in Berlin. The Russian embassy rejected the allegation as a “fabricated provocation” and accused Germany of fuelling anti-Russian sentiment.
