President Joe Biden labeled the damage to Gazprom-led Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea as an intentional “act of sabotage,” telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that the United States and its allies won’t be “intimidated” by his words or threats.
“Let me say this: It was a deliberate act of sabotage, and now the Russians are pumping out disinformation and lies,” Biden told reporters at the White House on Friday. His latest remark rebukes Putin’s claim that the West is responsible for blowing up the pipelines, which carry Russian natural gas to Germany.
“We’re going to work with our allies to get to the bottom of exactly what—precisely what happened. And at my direction, I’ve already begun to help our allies enhance the protection of this critical infrastructure,” the president added. “And at the appropriate moment when things calm down, we’re going to be sending divers down to find out exactly what happened.”…