Nord Stream 2, a significant gas pipeline channeling gas from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea, has been criticized as a strategic error and a display of Europe’s capitulation to Moscow. In 2022, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the pipeline was sabotaged. Subsequently, a Ukrainian professional diver was apprehended for alleged involvement in the act.
Donald Tusk commented on social media this month, stating, “The problem with Nord Stream 2 is not that it was blown up. The problem is that it was built.” In a Sunday Times interview, Tusk asserted that a Polish court’s decision to block a German request for the extradition of a suspect related to the Nord Stream sabotage grants Ukraine the right to target Russia-linked sites across Europe.
He criticized Europe’s passive stance and underestimation of Putin’s territorial ambitions, declaring this the end of Europe’s era of illusions. “It’s too late to be properly prepared for all threats, but not too late to survive,” Tusk remarked. During the interview, he also labeled Britain’s departure from the EU as “one of the biggest mistakes in our shared European history,” referencing former UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s ineffective use of the Brexit referendum to gain EU concessions.
Tusk, deeply involved in the early Brexit negotiations as European Council president, observed, “Today it’s much clearer.” He added that after Brexit, many Poles realized the UK’s situation wasn’t significantly better than Poland’s, noting that Brits are beginning to move to Poland for a new life.
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