Poland asks US to impose sanctions against Nord Stream 2
In an interview with Gazeta Prawna following Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the Prime Minister said he raised the issue of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is currently under construction. "We want this project to fall under the sanctions. And this is a very important point in our negotiations with the United States," said the head of the Polish government, referring to Nord Stream 2 as a threat not only to Poland's energy security, but to the entire region.
"This gas pipeline is not just a business project, as Germany is trying to assure us. Because of [the pipeline], Ukrainians will be cut off from gas supplies, and I can imagine the political scenario that will be the consequence of this, "he added.
According to Morawiecki, Tillerson admitted that diversification of gas supplies should become a common priority for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Morawiecki spoke about Nord Stream 2 at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He also mentioned there that the gas pipeline threatens Ukraine. "What will happen when the Russian army marches across all of Ukraine? Of course, we do not know, we hope that nothing will happen. But it's better if we have a second and a third line of defense than nothing," he said.
Polish President Andrzej Duda also spoke of the danger of the Nord Stream project. He said that the gas pipeline would weaken the energy security of Poland and Ukraine, and pose a danger to the unity of Europe.
According to its blueprint, Nord Stream 2 is planned to pass along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The pipeline will be able to pump 55 billion cubic meters of gas annually. The cost of the project is €9.5 billion.