Nord Stream 2 pipeline ‘biggest mistake’ by Angela Merkel, says Donald Tusk | News in Taiwan

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Former European Council President Donald Tusk called the decision to build the Nord Stream 2 pipeline the biggest mistake of outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, at a conference on Sunday.

“From the perspective of EU interests, Nord Stream 2 is a bad project,” Tusk said, as reported by Polish news outlet PAP.

Tusk also said Merkel met him in a conversation between the two. He added that Merkel had been ‘helpless’ in the face of lobbying German business interests.

“I did everything I could to make the EU less dependent on Russia’s gas, including the establishment of an energy union,” Tusk said.

Who is against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline?

Nord Stream 2 is a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, running through the Baltic Sea. It surpassed Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been vocal in his opposition to the pipeline, calling it a “dangerous geopolitical weapon of the Kremlin”. By bypassing Ukraine, the pipeline eliminates the country’s gas transit fees.

Poland is one of the most vocal critics of the pipeline, arguing that it gives Moscow influence to Central and Eastern European countries. Tusk has previously expressed open criticism of Merkel on the project.

According to Tusk, the Netherlands, Austria and Hungary are in favor of the project, while the Czech Republic has declared neutrality.

What is the US position on Nord Stream 2?

The U.S. has long opposed the pipeline, but the Biden administration has waived sanctions as part of a compromise with Germany. In this deal, Germany and the United States agreed to invest in green energy in Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia if it uses the pipeline as a political weapon.

Last week, the US imposed sanctions on a shipping company associated with Russia for its role in the project. These penalties are not targeted at the main company finishing the project.

On Sunday, the German government urged the U.S. Congress not to penalize the pipeline, arguing that it would “ultimately undermine transatlantic unity,” according to a report by U.S. news outlet Axios based on classified documents.

In the documents, Germany argues that the pipeline presents “no threat to Ukraine as long as reasonable gas transit is ensured.” It says any potential sanctions would be “a victory for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin” because it would damage transatlantic unity.

Ukraine has openly called on US lawmakers to punish the project, arguing that it presents an existing threat.

Who is Donald Tusk?

Donald Tusk was Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014 and President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019. He founded the Civic Platform (PO), which is currently the largest opposition party in the Polish parliament. Tusk has been President of the European People’s Party (EPP) since December 2019.

Tusk vowed to fight “populists, manipulators and autocrats” in a speech after being elected EPP President. Tusk is a fierce opponent of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party (PiS): at a Civic Platform party congress in July, he declared “evil reigns in Poland and we want to fight it”.

Edited by Alistair Walsh

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