Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on Tuesday that it is not in Poland's interest to hand over a Ukrainian citizen, "Volodymyr Z.," requested by Germany for his alleged involvement in the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022.
Although he acknowledged that the final decision rests with the courts, Tusk emphasized Poland's historic opposition to the Nord Stream project, which he considers a tool that made Europe excessively dependent on Russian gas.
Tusk stated emphatically that "the problem for Europe, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland is not that Nord Stream 2 was blown up, but that it was built," reiterating Warsaw's critical stance toward the energy interests that linked Western Europe with Russia. He added: "Certainly, it is not in Poland's interest to hand over this citizen to a foreign country."
El gasoducto Nord Stream sufrió una explosión en 2022 que lo dejó fuera de operaciones
Volodymyr Z., arrested on the outskirts of Warsaw at the end of September, will remain in custody for 40 more days, according to a Polish court's decision on Monday, while the extradition request submitted by Germany under a European arrest warrant is being evaluated.
The explosion of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in September 2022, near the Danish island of Bornholm, was classified as an act of sabotage by both Western countries and Russia.
The attack marked a turning point in the Ukraine conflict by directly affecting Europe's energy supply. So far, no one has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Ukrainian government has denied any involvement.
According to the German Prosecutor's Office, Volodymyr Z. was allegedly part of a group that rented a yacht and placed explosives on the pipelines. The charges he faces include conspiracy to commit an explosive attack and unconstitutional sabotage.
Tusk destacó la oposición de Polonia frente al gasoducto
Leaks to the German press indicate that the suspects may have ties to Ukrainian intelligence services and the armed forces in Kyiv, although it is not clear whether senior officials in the Ukrainian government were aware of the operation.
Meanwhile, another Ukrainian citizen, suspected of having coordinated the attack, was arrested in Italy in August and has stated that he will fight his extradition to Germany. Volodymyr Z.'s defense has asserted that their client is innocent and that he will plead not guilty.
During the press conference, Tusk also directed veiled criticism at former German Chancellor Angela Merkel for having approved the construction of Nord Stream 2, noting that it was a decision made "with money from some European states and German-Dutch companies," which ultimately benefited Russia to the detriment of the strategic interests of Central and Eastern Europe.
Poland's position adds tension to the already complex diplomatic and judicial landscape surrounding the case, in which issues of energy security, international relations, and judicial sovereignty converge. Meanwhile, Germany has not issued any official comments in response to the Polish prime minister's statement.
El primer ministro polaco lanzó fuertes críticas contra Angela Merkel
