Denmark rejects the Nord Stream inquiry; response from Russia

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has suggested that Copenhagen is doing Washington's bidding by refusing to cooperate with Moscow in the investigation into the explosions that destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines last September. She pointed out that Denmark has yet to respond to any of the numerous requests Russian authorities have made about the investigation, and reminded Danish officials that Moscow is the owner of the destroyed gas pipelines. On Thursday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen ruled out the possibility of Moscow participating in the probe, explaining that "Denmark, Sweden and Germany all have rule of law and one can have confidence in our investigations." Russia has accused the three countries of obstruction and asked the UN to initiate an impartial international investigation. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were built under the Baltic Sea to deliver Russian natural gas to Germany and onward to Western Europe.