Russia failed to convince the UN Security Council to demand an independent investigation into the explosions that occurred in the two Nord Stream gas pipelines, as only Russia, China and Brazil voted in favor of the resolution drafted by Moscow, while the other 12 council members abstained.
On Monday, Russia failed to persuade the UN Security Council to demand an independent investigation into the explosions that occurred in September at the Nord Stream gas pipelines connecting Russia and Germany, which led to the pumping of gas into the Baltic Sea.
Only Russia, China and Brazil voted in favor of the resolution drafted by Moscow, while the other 12 council members abstained.
In order for a resolution to be adopted in the Security Council, at least nine members must vote in favor of it, provided that none of its five permanent members (Russia, China, France, the United States and Britain) veto it.
About two weeks ago, Russia accused American journalists close to President Joe Biden's administration of publishing "deliberately false and misleading" news about the Nord Stream explosion.
In a statement, the Russian Embassy in Washington denounced the "continuous, coordinated flow of disinformation" about the September 26 "terrorist attacks" on the two pipelines carrying Russian gas to northern Germany via the Baltic Sea.
The embassy said the US mainstream media "continues to deliberately promote false theories about the destruction of vital energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea".
And at the end of September 2022, explosions and gas leaks were detected under the sea at the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, and Russia and the United States exchanged accusations and suggestions of being behind them, although the investigations have not yet been completed.
NATO criticizes the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus and the Director of Atomic Energy will visit Moscow
NATO on Sunday criticized Russia's decision to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus, describing it as "dangerous and a violation of non-proliferation practices."
"NATO is vigilant, and we are monitoring the situation closely," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lunescu said in a tweet.
"The Russian nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and irresponsible," she added. "We are committed to protecting and defending all NATO allies," she stressed.
Lungescu disputed Moscow's claim that its move would comply with non-proliferation principles.
She emphasized that NATO allies "act in full respect of their international obligations, but Russia has consistently reneged on its arms control obligations, and recently suspended its participation in the New START treaty." And she added, "Russia must return to its commitment to arms control and act in good faith."
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Moscow's plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.
In an interview with Russia Today, Putin attributed his decision to Britain's announcement of its intention to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition. He explained that Moscow "has already deployed in Belarus 10 aircraft capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons."
On the other hand, the Russian Information Agency reported on Monday, quoting Moscow's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, will not travel to Russia this week, but it is possible that a visit will take place in the near future.
Grossi announced on Saturday that he would visit the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine this week to assess the dangerous situation there.
The Russian Information Agency said that Russia's permanent representative Mikhail Ulyanov said in response to a question whether Russia intends to invite Grossi to Moscow in the near future that this is "a very realistic matter."
Ulyanov added, "Not next week, but later Rafael Grossi's visit to Russia will probably take place later."
Grossi calls for the establishment of a security zone around Zaporizhia, which was repeatedly bombed during the war that Russia launched against Ukraine 13 months ago. Zaporizhya is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and includes six nuclear reactors.