Blinken Says US Supporting Europe after Nord Stream Leaks

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the State Department in Washington, US, February 1, 2022. Susan Walsh/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo/File Photo
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the State Department in Washington, US, February 1, 2022. Susan Walsh/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo/File Photo
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Blinken Says US Supporting Europe after Nord Stream Leaks

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the State Department in Washington, US, February 1, 2022. Susan Walsh/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo/File Photo
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the State Department in Washington, US, February 1, 2022. Susan Walsh/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo/File Photo

The United States said Tuesday it was ready to help European allies on energy security after leaks were detected on the Nord Stream pipelines and said it was assessing whether sabotage was to blame.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was looking at reports that the leaks were "the result of an attack or some kind of sabotage", AFP said.

"If it is confirmed, that's clearly in no one's interest," Blinken told reporters.

"My understanding is the leaks will not have a significant impact on Europe's energy resilience," Blinken said.

But he added: "What's critical is that we are working day in day out, both on a short term basis and a long term basis, to address energy security for Europe and, for that matter, around the world."

He pointed to US efforts to step up shipments of liquified natural gas since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine as US allies, notably Germany, tried to reduce their reliance on Russian energy.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan later tweeted that he had spoken to his "counterpart Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe of Denmark about the apparent sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines."

"The US is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europe’s energy security," he added.

A White House official earlier said that "we stand ready to provide support" to Europeans after the leaks.

Ukraine accused Russia of causing the leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, saying the alleged actions amount to "nothing more than a terrorist attack."

Photographs taken by the Danish military showed large masses of bubbles on the surface of the Baltic Sea, while Sweden's seismological institute reported underwater blasts.



Greece Blocks Asylum Claims for Migrants on Crete after Surge in Arrivals

Migrants get off a bus at the port of Heraklion, Crete, Greece, 08 July 2025. EPA/NIKOS CHALKIADAKIS
Migrants get off a bus at the port of Heraklion, Crete, Greece, 08 July 2025. EPA/NIKOS CHALKIADAKIS
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Greece Blocks Asylum Claims for Migrants on Crete after Surge in Arrivals

Migrants get off a bus at the port of Heraklion, Crete, Greece, 08 July 2025. EPA/NIKOS CHALKIADAKIS
Migrants get off a bus at the port of Heraklion, Crete, Greece, 08 July 2025. EPA/NIKOS CHALKIADAKIS

Greece's government said Wednesday it is temporarily suspending asylum applications for migrants arriving on the island of Crete, following a spike in arrivals from Libya.

More than 2,000 migrants have landed on the island since the weekend, according to coast guard figures, bringing the total number of arrivals this year to over 10,000.

Speaking in parliament, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the government also planned to build a detention site on Crete for migrants and was seeking direct collaboration between the Libya and Greek coast guards to turn back boats leaving the North African country.

“This emergency situation clearly demands emergency measures,” Mitsotakis told parliament Wednesday. “The Greek government has decided to inform the European Commission that ... it will suspend the processing of asylum applications — for an initial period of three months — for those arriving by sea from North Africa.”

According to The Associated Press, the suspension will apply only to migrants reaching Crete by sea. Migrants entering illegally will be detained, Mitsotakis said. “The Greek government is sending a firm message: the route to Greece is closing, and that message is directed at all human traffickers,” he said.

Overnight, a fishing trawler carrying 520 migrants from Libya was intercepted south of Crete. A bulk carrier that took all of the migrants onboard was rerouted to the port of Lavrio, near Athens, so that the migrants could be detained on a mainland facility, authorities said.