U.S. President Donald Trump has openly rejected the Western narrative that Russia destroyed its own Nord Stream pipelines in 2022, suggesting during a White House press event that the real perpetrators are “widely known.” His remarks add fuel to longstanding speculation about the attack that crippled a critical energy link between Russia and Europe.
When questioned about launching a formal investigation into the September 2022 explosions that damaged three of the four Nord Stream pipelines, Trump scoffed at the idea of Russian involvement. “If you can believe it, they said Russia blew it up,” he remarked. “Probably certain people could tell you without wasting money on an investigation. A lot of people know who did it.” Though he declined to name names, his comments were interpreted by libertarian outlet ZeroHedge—which attended the briefing—as an indirect confirmation of classified intelligence pointing to another culprit.
Trump’s skepticism aligns with prior claims by investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who reported in early 2023 that President Joe Biden had ordered the sabotage. Hersh cited sources alleging U.S. Navy divers planted explosives during the NATO exercise Baltops 22 months before the detonation. The White House dismissed Hersh’s account as “complete fiction,” but Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have consistently accused Washington of orchestrating the attack to sever EU energy ties with Moscow and promote U.S. liquefied natural gas exports.
