Speakers at the Warsaw Security Forum on Wednesday (24 October) agreed that Nord Stream 2 pipeline was a threat to the EU and NATO security. Starting with its construction three years ago, the project has been controversial and made the already tense relations between Germany and Poland even more uptight. The EU is torn between two opinions – those who favour it and those who are against.
Warsaw says the project is a threat to Europe’s energy security and Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz warned that the project would have major geopolitical implications. Polish authorities are pushing for the second brand of the pipeline to be governed by EU law, which would make the investment unprofitable to Gazprom, who owns the project. Poland fears that Nord Stream 2 could easily become Moscow’s political tool. “The transmission line itself gives Russia a pretext to patrol the entire Baltic Sea or it can be used to send information. It has this military dimension,” said Mr. Czaputowicz.
According to Przemys?aw ?urawski vel Grajewski of the University of ?ód?, Nord Stream 2 could be used for detection of “objects in motion”. “Fiber optic along the pipeline can be excellent infrastructure for tracking the movement of naval vessels in the Baltic Sea and would constitute a heavy blow against security in Eastern Europe,” he commented. Nord Stream 2 is on track of being finalized in 2020 and the estimated construction cost is around 10 billion euros. When operational, the pipeline will supply up to 55 billion cubic meters a year (bcm/y) of Russian gas directly to Germany, bypassing Ukraine and Poland.
