MOSCOW, October 23. /TASS/. Western countries should channel their passion towards Nord Stream blasts instead of exploring the Balticconnector gas pipeline accident, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.

"The passion that they demonstrate in investigating the Balticconnector accident should be better channeled towards investigating the Nord Stream 2 [blast]," he told reporters.

If Latvia assumes that causing damage is credited as an act of armed attack as is stated in NATO’s strategic documents the Baltic Sea should then be closed for US vessels after the Nord Stream 2 blast, first of all by Germany, Grushko noted. "Since a version on Ukraine’s involvement in the Nord Stream blast is starting to be boosted in the press any help or assistance to Ukraine should be stopped," the diplomat said.

The operation of the underwater gas pipeline Balticconnector between Finland and Estonia has been suspended due to a suspected leak. The Finnish authorities said on October 10 that it was not ruled out that the damage to the gas pipeline revealed on October 9 could have been the result of external activity.