Andrzej Sadoś, the permanent representative of Poland to the European Union, has urged to stop the Nord Stream 2 construction.
"Member states cannot allow themselves to be dependent on a state with an openly hostile policy towards the EU," he told EURACTIV.
"Russian authorities aim to discredit and disintegrate our Union as well as the unity of our Western alliances. Today, the only adequate reaction to the confrontational attitude of Russia can be the discontinuation of the Nord Stream 2 (NS2) investment. This would be a clear and unequivocal consequence of outrageous statements made by the representative of Russian authorities about the EU in general and about the individual member states," Sadoś said.
According to the politician, "completing the pipeline and allowing Russia to benefit in this way from a deal with an 'unreliable partner' would mean allowing the law to be broken, allowing persecutions, corruption and division of Western states."
Nord Stream 2: Background
The Nord Stream 2 project envisages the construction and operation of two gas pipeline branches with a total throughput capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany. It should connect Russia's Ust-Lug and Germany's Greifswald. This new pipeline bypassing Ukraine is to be built next to the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
The construction of the pipeline was expected to be completed before the end of 2019.
The pipeline will be 1,220 km long. The project is being implemented by Russia's Gazprom in alliance with European companies – ENGIE, OMV, Royal Dutch Shell, Uniper, and Wintershall. Ukraine stands against the construction of Nord Stream 2 as it will most likely lose its status of a gas transit country, while its potential revenue losses are estimated at US$3 billion annually. The project is also highly criticized by the U.S., Poland, and the Baltic States.
Read also"Impossible" to complete Nord Stream 2 – expertAccording to media reports, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden intends to do his best to prevent the construction of Nord Stream 2.
On November 4, 2020, the media reported that U.S. Congress wanted to expand sanctions against Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream.
On December 4, 2020, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he doubted that the U.S. position on Nord Stream 2 would change after Joe Biden's inauguration.
On December 6, 2020, United States Charge d'Affaires to Germany Robin Quinville called on the EU and Germany to declare a moratorium on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
On December 9, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with expanded restrictions against the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
On December 11, 2020, the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline resumed.
Read alsoGermany may freeze Nord Stream 2 after September elections – mediaGermany's federal maritime regulator BSH says the construction work on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline could be stopped for an indefinite period in German waters but opponents still need to give detailed reasons to justify the halt.
On February 7, 2021, the Nord Stream 2 operator announced the start of pipe-laying in Danish waters.
