Polish FM awaits clarification from US over Nord Stream U-turn
Poland's foreign minister said on Thursday that he and other ministers in Eastern Europe had learned of the USA's change of position over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from the media and awaited clarification from Washington.
Zbigniew Rau also said it was difficult to perceive the situation as "an exemplary model of cooperation."
Rau, during a one-day visit to Latvia, told journalists that the decision of the US administration to withdraw from imposing sanctions on companies engaged in the construction of Nord Stream 2 could not be understood or supported by Poland.
Nord Stream 2 is a controversial Russia-Germany natural gas pipeline, which bypasses Ukraine and endangers, according to its critics, energy security in Eastern Europe.
"When I established contact with the current American administration, and personally with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the American side confirmed that they would not do anything about us without us, that all decisions would be consulted," Rau said.
"I, and not only I, also other ministers of our part of Europe found out about the change of that position practically from the media," he continued.
He went on to say it was shocking that the US administration consults politicians from other parts of Europe about security on the eastern flank.
He also added that the Nord Stream 2 project divided the EU and NATO and that it would cost regional security, including that of Poland and Ukraine.
