US behind Nord Stream sabotage, says expert

BARCELONA, Spain — A political expert in Spain says he is "increasingly convinced" the Nord Stream pipeline blast was caused by the US, with the aim to break Germany's dependence on Russian gas.

Josep Puigsech, an expert on Russian affairs and professor of contemporary history at Barcelona's Autonomous University, said the incident last September dealt a severe blow to Moscow and to its relationship with Western Europe.

"As there's a clear profit to be made by the United States and at the same time a strengthening of its geopolitical influence over Germany, and given the international dimension of the conflict, I'm increasingly convinced this was an action by the US," he told Xinhua News Agency on Monday.