Denmark Refuses to Help Germany With Nord Stream Investigation
Denmark has declined to assist German authorities with their ongoing criminal investigation into the September 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, citing potential threats to national security according to German prosecutors and Danish broadcaster DR.
While Sweden and Poland have cooperated with aspects of the multinational inquiries, the Copenhagen public prosecutor’s office officially rejected Germany’s request for legal assistance on 14 February 2024, as detailed in the German indictment.
Security Concerns Behind the Copenhagen Rejection
German investigators sought to question port captains and yacht owners on the Danish islands of Bornholm and Christiansø. Investigators believe these local witnesses may have observed the yacht reportedly used by the individuals responsible for the pipeline blasts in mid-September 2022. The Federal Police of Germany formally requested access to these local accounts, but Danish authorities blocked the outreach.
According to the German indictment, the Copenhagen prosecutor’s office blocked the request under provisions allowing the state to reject international legal assistance if the inquiry jeopardizes domestic security interests. Birgit Feldtmann, a law professor interviewed by Danish broadcaster DR, noted that while the refusal breaks with a long history of close legal cooperation between Berlin and Copenhagen, the decision remains entirely within Denmark’s legal rights under regional statutes.
Shifting Regional Alliances and Ongoing Arrests
On 21 August 2026, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly stated that Germany should not hold those suspected of blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines criminally liable, adding further diplomatic tension to the continent.
Despite administrative roadblocks in Denmark, the German federal case continues to advance through international arrests. On 19 August 2026, Croatian authorities detained a Ukrainian national, Volodymyr Zhuravliov, whom German investigators suspect of direct involvement in the sabotage operation. Zhuravliov was apprehended while filming a Hollywood film about the operation.
Another primary suspect, Serhii Kuznetsov, is currently held in custody in Germany. Italian authorities detained Kuznetsov last summer while he vacationed in the country. At the end of June, Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office published an official statement announcing formal charges against Kuznetsov, asserting that he and other members of the alleged cell acted as Ukrainian military personnel during the attack.
As German prosecutors press forward with indictments and secure targeted arrests across European borders, the refusal by Danish authorities to open their island ports to foreign questioning underscores the fragile legal boundaries governing multinational infrastructure investigations.