Any deliberate attack against the infrastructure of the allied countries will be responded collectively with determination, NATO warned today in a statement in which it formally qualifies as acts of "sabotage" the mysterious leaks registered in the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
"We as an Alliance have committed to preparing for, deterring and defending against the coercive use of energy and other hybrid tactics by state and non-state actors," said the statement, released by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "Any deliberate attack against critical infrastructure of the Alliance would face a united and determined response", add the allied countries, thus evoking the language used by the European Union in response to gas leaks in the Baltic Sea but giving it a new dimension as it is a military organization.
The statement does not provide new information on these events but notes that, according to the information currently available, everything points to a deliberate act of "sabotage". It is the first time that the Atlantic Alliance has threatened a military response to these events, currently under investigation in Sweden and Denmark. Several coastal areas of the Baltic Sea, as well as Norway, announced yesterday that they had reinforced the protection and surveillance of their critical infrastructures and said they were in contact with the military organization.
On the other hand, the matter appears on the agenda of the extraordinary council of energy ministers that will be held tomorrow in Brussels. "Everyone around the table is deeply concerned, this does not seem casual. All the information available on the leaks indicates that they are the result of a deliberate act," say diplomatic sources, who hope that tomorrow the representatives of the Twenty-seven will exchange information on the protection measures taken. "We're definitely going to take lessons from this. It's not just that it's unacceptable, but it's sent us a signal about the importance of making sure our infrastructure is protected."
