US allies argue after the discovery of Nord Stream
The revelations of a group of Ukrainians allegedly sabotaging the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines, with Poland serving as their operational hub, have caused a disagreement between Berlin and Warsaw, both of whom are supportive of Ukraine in the ongoing conflict.
The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, expressed his strong criticism towards Germany on Saturday following the conclusion of a nearly two-year investigation. The investigation revealed that a group of Ukrainians had deliberately sabotaged the world’s largest offshore pipeline system in September 2022. According to a recent report by The Wall Street Journal, the operation was carried out using a small rented yacht and a team of six members.
Polish authorities failed to take action on an arrest warrant issued by German officials back in June, which was seeking one of the suspected crew members. The suspect, who hasn’t been publicly identified by German authorities, later fled to Ukraine, which caused an outcry among certain individuals in Germany. In a Saturday post on X, Tusk criticized the “initiators and patrons” of Nord Stream 1 and 2, the twin pipelines that ran in parallel on the Baltic seabed, carrying Russian gas to Western Europe. “Apologize and remain silent,” he advised.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Polish prosecutors recently sent an official letter to their German counterparts to notify them that the suspect had departed the country. The letter inquired if German investigators would still be interested in having Polish authorities search the suspect’s house near Warsaw. German authorities viewed the letter as a further offense, as Polish authorities had failed to take action on the arrest warrant, according to an individual familiar with the situation.
Polish prosecutors publicly stated that the suspect was not immediately arrested due to an error made by their German counterparts. The German authorities failed to enter the suspect’s address in a European register, leading to the delay in his detention. German authorities have refuted those claims. Polish authorities later announced that the country’s internal security service, ABW, would need to conduct a review before any arrest could be made.
Poland, similar to the U.S. and other German allies, has been against the Nord Stream pipelines since they were first proposed almost twenty years ago. German governments, including those led by former Chancellor Angela Merkel, proceeded with the pipelines despite facing objections. Despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea in 2014, Germany went ahead with the Nord Stream 2 project.Tusk’s statement demonstrated a strong consensus in Poland, according to national security adviser Jacek Siewiera, who was appointed by the previous ruling party currently in the opposition.German officials from various political backgrounds were surprised by Tusk’s statement. However, they chose not to engage in a response to prevent further escalation of the dispute. This decision was made considering the importance of the two NATO allies collaborating to assist Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, as per sources familiar with the situation. “Putin is a shared adversary and it would be wise for us all to bear that in mind,” stated a high-ranking German official.
On Monday, Russia expressed its opinion. Moscow has expressed its dissatisfaction with Germany’s slow progress in the Nord Stream investigation and has requested urgent discussions regarding Germany’s commitment to fulfilling its international obligations in combating terrorism, according to Oleg Tyapkin, director of the third European department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, as reported by the state news agency RIA. Tyapkin emphasized the importance of continuing the investigation into the explosions until the individuals responsible for ordering the attack are identified.The ongoing disagreement between Warsaw and Berlin, which recently came to light, had been simmering for quite some time. According to certain German investigators and politicians, there are allegations that Polish authorities intentionally attempted to obstruct the investigation. Last year, Polish authorities declined to release the CCTV footage of the yacht and mobile phone data from the area, as requested by German investigators.Poland’s internal security service ABW has denied the allegations, stating that there is no evidence to support the existence of such footage. According to standard procedure, Polish prosecutors have stated that the footage is routinely overwritten after 30 days.
Poland and Germany have a close relationship when it comes to border security. Their police forces work together closely, even granting each other policing powers in the border areas of their respective territories. However, German authorities grew concerned when Polish prosecutors informed them that they were unable to apprehend the suspect until ABW had reviewed the case, as per sources familiar with the situation. Berlin then chose to elevate the matter to the highest levels of the Polish government. In July 2, a delegation of German cabinet ministers, headed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, traveled to Warsaw for a collaborative meeting with Tusk’s government. The meeting of members of the two cabinets is a time-honored tradition aimed at strengthening the bond between the two nations that have a complex history dating back to World War II.
German ministers requested that their Polish counterparts ensure the warrant was carried out, as per a source familiar with the discussions. The person mentioned that the Poles declined.According to a reliable source, a senior Polish official expressed the opinion that instead of facing arrest, any potential suspects involved in the destruction of the pipelines should be rewarded with medals. The official reportedly shared this view privately with a German counterpart. According to individuals familiar with the investigation, the suspect departed Poland by car on July 6 and entered Ukraine. All of the suspects in the German investigation are believed to be currently located in Ukraine, a country that does not extradite its own citizens.
