Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on October 7 that those responsible for building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, rather than those accused of sabotaging it, “should be ashamed and remain silent.” He added that handing over the Ukrainian suspect wanted by Germany for alleged involvement in the 2022 explosion “is not in Poland’s interest.”

Tusk’s remarks come amid renewed discussion about the controversial Nord Stream 2 project and Warsaw’s response to Berlin’s extradition request for a Ukrainian national identified as Volodymyr Z. The man was detained in September in east-central Poland on suspicion of participating in the attack on the undersea pipeline.

“This is not a new situation,” Tusk said during a joint press conference in Warsaw alongside Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene. “From our perspective, the only people who should feel shame and keep quiet about Nord Stream 2 are those who made the decision to construct it.”

He noted that Poland’s stance on the issue had been clearly presented months ago to former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “Our position remains unchanged. It is certainly not in Poland’s interest to accuse or hand over this citizen to another country,” Tusk reiterated.

The prime minister also condemned the pipeline’s construction as a project that ran “contrary to the fundamental interests of all of Europe.” However, he emphasized that the final say on the extradition would belong to the court, stressing that the government would not intervene in the judicial process.

Poland’s minister-coordinator for intelligence services, Tomasz Siemoniak, described the case as “extremely serious,” noting that the court has up to 100 days to decide on the German request. German prosecutors allege that Volodymyr Z., a professional diving instructor, took part in planting explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022. Another Ukrainian suspect was detained in Italy in August on similar charges.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline - linking Russia and Germany through the Baltic Sea - was never put into operation and had already faced fierce criticism long before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Opponents argued it would make Germany overly dependent on Russian energy and undermine European security.

Earlier this year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that his government would “do everything possible” to ensure that Nord Stream 2 never becomes active.