A “transparent and objective” international investigation in the blasts at the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines is needed, a high-ranking Russian diplomat to the United States said early on Wednesday.

Commenting on reports that the US reportedly warned Ukraine not to attack the pipelines under the Baltic Sea, Andrey Ledenev, minister-counsellor at the embassy, said the role of the United States in the blasts should also be “clarified”.

White House rejects report that US was behind Nord Stream sabotage

“It would be useful to think about the reasons for the stubborn unwillingness of the collective West to launch a transparent and objective international investigation under the auspices of the UN Security Council in the terrorist attacks in the Baltic Sea,” Ledenev was quoted as saying in a post on the embassy’s Telegram messaging channel.