Dispute over Nord Stream 2: Maas warns of closing off Russia

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline has a massive impact on the relationship between Germany and Poland. During a visit to Warsaw, Foreign Minister Maas said that an end to economic relations with Moscow would be risky. Poland fears for its security.

In the dispute over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned during his visit to Poland against breaking off economic relations with Russia. “It would put us in a difficult position in Europe if economic relations with Russia are no longer possible,” he said.

If you isolate China at the same time, you are driving these two countries closer together and creating the largest economic area in the world, said Maas after a conversation with his Polish colleague Zbigniew Rau in Warsaw. “This is not only wrong, it is also dangerous – also for our security interests in Europe. And that is why we do not think that this is the right strategy.”

“Security Risk for Europe”

Rau, on the other hand, reiterated that the Polish government continues to reject the billion-dollar pipeline project that is supposed to bring more Russian gas through the Baltic Sea to Western Europe. “We are opposed to this project and have been from the very beginning,” he said. The project is a security risk for Europe and should not be completed. In the case of Ukraine, it even creates a “security vacuum”.

Rau said connecting Ukraine to another pipeline network, which is also dependent on Russian gas supplies, is not a solution. Maas had previously advertised that, despite Nord Stream 2, Ukraine would continue to be a transit country for Russian gas and that income would be preserved.

In the event of completion, one must at least ensure that Ukraine can be supplied with gas through other pipelines not controlled by Russia, said Rau. Poland is in the process of diversifying its gas supplies. Poland, along with the Baltic states and Ukraine, is one of the fiercest opponents of the pipeline, which is almost complete and is supposed to connect Russia and Germany.

Maas thanks Poland

Despite the dispute over the gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, Maas and Rau demonstrated unity on another foreign policy issue. Both foreign ministers unanimously condemned the behavior of the Belarusian government and its departure from the EU’s Eastern Partnership program. Maas praised Poland had taken a “leading role” in sanctioning the Belarusian leadership among the EU states. He is grateful for that.

“We mustn’t lose sight of Belarus,” warned Rau. Poland is determined to continue its efforts for the benefit of Belarusian civil society “and to free the political detainees”.