Poland’s president has declared that gas flows from Russia to Western Europe should never resume, even in the event of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Andrzej Duda stated that the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which have been inactive since 2022, “should be dismantled.”
He argued that removing them would prevent countries like Germany from being tempted to restore Russian gas supplies to support its struggling economy.
“I can only hope that European leaders will learn lessons from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and that they will push through a decision to never restore the pumping of gas through this pipeline,” he said.
During his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Polish president asserted that economic sanctions against Russia were proving effective and urged European nations to resist corporate pressure to re-establish business ties.
The Nord Stream pipelines, constructed by Russia’s energy giant Gazprom, connect Russia to northern Germany.
Nord Stream 1 was shut down in 2022, while Nord Stream 2 was never put into operation due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both pipelines suffered damage from explosions that same year.
Following their shutdown, gas prices in Europe soared. In recent months, Germany’s far-right AfD party has advocated for restoring Nord Stream operations.
Germany is set to hold federal elections at the end of February. “I believe the Nord Stream pipelines should be dismantled,” Duda reiterated. “This pipeline poses a significant threat to Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, and other Central European nations.”
He elaborated: “It is a threat in terms of energy, military security, and economic stability, as it would allow Russia to dominate Europe economically.”
Regarding the possibility of a Ukraine-Russia peace deal now that US President Donald Trump has assumed office, Duda stressed that negotiations could not occur without Ukraine’s direct involvement.
“I’m saying this as the president of the Republic of Poland, as a neighbor to Ukraine, and as the leader of a country with its own difficult historical experiences,” he said.
Russia Gas Deals With Europe (Photo: Dado Ruvic)“I refer here to World War Two and the Yalta Conference, where we were excluded from discussions, leading to agreements made over our heads. As a result, we found ourselves behind the Iron Curtain, under Soviet influence for nearly 50 years,” he explained.
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Trump had previously claimed he could negotiate an end to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine—launched in February 2022—within 24 hours, though he has since acknowledged it may take longer.
Duda asserted that allowing Russia to retain occupied Ukrainian territory would be “a violation of international law.”
President Vladimir Putin has expressed willingness to negotiate an end to the conflict, which began in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
However, he has insisted that Ukraine must accept Russia’s territorial gains, which currently account for approximately 20% of Ukraine’s land.
Additionally, Putin refuses to permit Ukraine’s NATO membership, a key demand of the Western military alliance.
Duda emphasized: “The international community cannot agree, and it is unacceptable that Russia would take certain territories of Ukraine and keep them by force. This is unacceptable. “We must not let Russia win this war.”
Duda also expressed confidence in Trump’s understanding of the region and stressed the importance of US involvement.
“President Donald Trump—as the leader of the most powerful country in NATO and the world’s largest economy—will play a crucial role,” Duda stated. “I am waiting patiently to see the first steps Donald Trump will take.”