Poland Sees Nord Stream 2 As Geopolitical Threat

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Poland Sees Nord Stream 2 As Geopolitical Threat

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The flag of Poland in the sky (copyright by Adobe Stock/FOTOWAWA)
The flag of Poland in the sky (copyright by Adobe Stock/FOTOWAWA)

In the wake of the Biden administration's decision to waive sanctions on Nord Stream 2's parent company, Nord Stream AG, Poland has come out strongly against the U.S. move, saying the completion of Nord Stream 2 would threaten energy security in central and eastern Europe.

"This information is definitely not positive from the security point of view, as we know perfectly that Nord Stream 2 is not only a business project - it is mostly a geopolitical project," Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller said.

Poland, which has taken steps to reduce its reliance on Russian gas supplies, has on many occasions expressed its objections to Nord Stream 2, saying it will further strengthen Gazprom's dominant position in the region.

Gazprom and its western partners have built an estimated 95% of Nord Stream 2's construction and its completion is imminent.  The pipeline would bypass the Ukraine, depriving the country of lucrative transit fees that would accrue if Russian gas were shipped through the existing Bratstvo gas pipeline.   With an alternative pipeline like Nord Stream 2, the Bratstvo  becomes increasingly irrelevant.

Joe Biden's win was awkward for Warsaw's right-wing conservative government, which set great store by its relationship with the previous Trump administration and secured a pledge of a permanent U.S. military deployment.  However, it strained relations with Poland's European Union allies over its handling of democratic values                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

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