Polish President Andrzej Duda has urged Germany to abandon its participation in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, according to the German news network Deutsche Welle.
"This project should not be implemented", Duda said during a joint press conference with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin.
He reiterated that Nord Stream 2 will disrupt the energy balance, create a threat to the energy security of a number of central and eastern European countries and strengthen Gazprom's dominant position.
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Duda also expressed surprise about the European Commission's unwillingness to express its negative stance on Nord Stream 2.
In this vein, the Polish President urged Berlin to buy more liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US, saying that it should be a political and strategic decision." Steinmeier responded by insisting that the move to purchase the LNG should be economic, not strategic.
Duda's remarks came after he told Polskie Radio that the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project poses a threat to Ukraine and Slovakia, and that Warsaw sees the project as an "investment that has nothing to do with the economy."
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Earlier this month, German Economic Affairs and Energy Minister Peter Altmaier pointed out that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline had proved itself as a project aimed at ensuring energy security in the region.
Nord Stream 2, due be wrapped up before the end of 2019, stipulates the construction of two gas pipelines that will run from Russia, through the Baltic Sea and to a hub in Germany, bypassing Ukraine entirely.
The project is a joint venture of Russia's energy giant Gazprom with French Engie, Austrian OMV AG, UK-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell, as well as German Uniper and Wintershall.