Poland warns against resuming gas supplies to Russia

Poland’s president has said gas flows from Russia to Western Europe should never be restored, even if Russia and Ukraine reach a peace deal.

Andrzej Duda told the BBC that the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which has not been used since 2022, “must be destroyed”.

This, he said, would mean that countries like Germany would not be tempted to resume Russian supplies. Boost your own struggling economy,

He said, “I can only hope that European leaders will learn the lessons of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and that they will insist on a decision to never resume the pumping of gas through this pipeline.”

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Polish president insisted that economic sanctions against Russia are working and that European countries should resist pressure from companies to re-establish trade ties.

The Nord Stream gas pipelines were built by Russian gas giant Gazprom and run between Russia and northern Germany.

Nord Stream 1 was shut down in 2022 and Nord Stream 2 was never used after the invasion of Ukraine. Both were damaged by explosions in 2022.

Gas prices in Europe rose after the shutdown and in recent months, politicians from Germany’s far-right AfD party have suggested that Nord Stream gas pipes should resume operation.

Federal elections will be held in Germany at the end of February.

“I believe that the Nord Stream pipelines should be destroyed,” Duda said. “This pipeline poses a huge threat to Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia but also to other Central European countries.”

He said, “This is not only a threat from an energy point of view, from a military point of view, but it is also a big economic threat because it means Russia’s dominance over Europe from an economic point of view.”

Now that US President Donald Trump has taken office, on the possibility of a deal between Ukraine and Russia, Duda stressed that there can be no peace talks without Ukraine’s participation.

“I say this as President of the Republic of Poland, as Ukraine’s neighbor and as President of a country that has had very difficult historical experiences,” he said.

“I’m speaking here and referring to World War II and Yalta where we were not included in those negotiations, where some agreements were made beyond our heads and then we found ourselves behind the Iron Curtain, where “For almost 50 years, we were part of the Soviet sphere of influence,” he said.

Trump previously said he would negotiate within 24 hours a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 – he has since acknowledged that this could take some time.

Duda said that allowing Russia to annex territory it occupies in Ukraine would be “a violation of international law.”

President Vladimir Putin has said he is willing to negotiate an end to the war, which first began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, but acknowledges the reality of Russian territorial gains over Ukraine. which currently accounts for about 20% of its land.

Putin also refused to accept Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO, the military alliance of Western countries.

Duda said: “The international community cannot agree, and it is unacceptable that Russia would take some areas of Ukraine and keep them by force. This is unacceptable.”

“We must not let Russia win this war.”

Duda said Trump “understands the region” and that US involvement would be important.

“President Donald Trump will hold vital importance within NATO as the leader of the most powerful country, as the leader of the most powerful economy.” Duda said.

“I’m quietly waiting for Donald Trump to take the first step.”