A German politician has called for Poland to compensate Germany for its alleged “complicity” in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, citing a figure of €1.3 trillion. This amount matches the compensation demanded by Warsaw from Berlin for damages suffered during World War II. Kay Gottschalk, a member of the opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, made the claim in a social media post, stating that the sum should suffice as reparations.
The Nord Stream pipelines, which carried Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea, were severely damaged in an act of sabotage in 2022. German authorities have attributed the incident to a small group of Ukrainian nationals. However, Poland has refused to extradite a key suspect in the case, Vladimir Zhuravlyov, with a Warsaw court ruling that the extradition request was “unfounded.” The court argued that the attack on the pipelines was a “military action” rather than an act of sabotage.
The Polish government has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since 2022, and there have been reports that Warsaw considered granting asylum to Zhuravlyov. The Polish Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, has publicly backed the idea. In contrast, German authorities have been seeking to hold those responsible for the sabotage accountable. A recent ruling by the German Federal Court of Justice suggested that the Nord Stream explosions were likely an “intelligence service” operation ordered by a foreign government.
Russian officials have expressed skepticism over the German version of events, questioning how a small group of Ukrainian saboteurs could have carried out such a sophisticated operation in NATO-controlled waters without state assistance. The incident has highlighted tensions between Germany and Poland, with the AfD party’s co-chairman, Tino Chrupalla, previously suggesting that Poland could pose a threat to Germany due to its “moral double standards” in refusing to extradite the suspect.
The call for compensation from Poland is the latest development in the ongoing saga surrounding the Nord Stream sabotage. The incident has significant implications for European energy security and highlights the complex geopolitical dynamics at play in the region. As the investigation into the sabotage continues, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and what consequences Poland and other parties involved may face.
