Poland, through its Prime Minister Donald Tusk, is giving the Ukrainians the green light to strike targets deep within European territories, on the condition that these are infrastructures “connected with Russia.”
The decision of a Warsaw court to reject Germany’s request for the extradition of the suspect involved in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline bombing means that Ukraine has the right to attack any Russian target in Europe, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
He admitted that he feels a “bitter satisfaction” that Poland’s and the Baltic countries’ worst-case scenarios regarding Russia’s actions are consistently being confirmed.
“Ukraine has the right to strike targets connected with Russia in Europe,” said Donald Tusk in his interview with the British newspaper Times.
The newspaper notes that these statements were made after a Warsaw court, in early October, rejected Germany’s request for the extradition of a Ukrainian diver accused of participating in the bombing of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines in 2022.
Tusk: “I Don’t Want Relations with Russia”
Regarding Russia, Tusk also stated that Polish intelligence services “uncover weekly acts of sabotage planned by Moscow,” that the Russian economy “has no chance of survival” in the long term, and that Britain cannot live under the “pleasant illusion” that it would be spared in the event of a war between Russia and NATO.
He admitted that he feels “bitter satisfaction” that Poland’s and the Baltic countries’ worst predictions about Russia’s actions are invariably being confirmed.
The Times notes that eleven years ago, when Tusk assumed office as President of the European Council, the European press called him a “maniacal Russophobe” for these views.
However, today only a “very brave observer” could level such an accusation against him.
“When I hear some politicians in Europe saying, ‘We must begin thinking today about how we can one day restore our relations with Russia,’ I am too old and not naïve – I know that this means someone in Europe wants to restore Nord Stream 2, to do business with Russia, to take oil and natural gas, and so on. To me, that always sounds like a warning sign,” said Donald Tusk.
“The international order has power at its core, not... wishful thinking”
Without naming “certain European colleagues,” he expressed his frustration over “their efforts to cling to a rules-based order,” which he believes is dying.
“We are talking about the end of the age of illusions in Europe – I am afraid it is too late. Too late to be prepared for all threats, but not too late to survive. Politics was, is, and always will be the same thing: violence, who is stronger, borders and territories, conflicts of interest,” said Tusk.
The Times notes that the Polish Prime Minister believes his country’s successes and moral principle give it the right to claim geopolitical leadership: “The Polish way of thinking must become pan-European.”
Poland rejected Germany’s extradition request
It is noted that at the end of September, police in the Polish city of Pruszków arrested Ukrainian diver Vladimir Zhuravlev, whom German authorities believe is involved in the bombing of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines on the Baltic Sea seabed.
A pan-European arrest warrant for him had been issued by the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office a year earlier, in the summer of 2024.
On the eve of the extradition hearing, Tusk declared that the Polish authorities opposed the extradition of Zhuravlev to Germany.
“It is neither in Poland’s interest nor within the bounds of decency to extradite this man to a foreign state,” said Tusk.
Subsequently, a Polish court rejected Germany’s request for the handover of the Ukrainian diver and ordered his immediate release.
Tusk welcomed the verdict.
The provocative statements of Sikorski and the fierce clash with Hungary
Later, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski expressed hope that Ukraine would destroy the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies Hungary with oil from Russia.
Such statements caused discontent in Budapest.
“This is scandalous: Poland believes that if you do not like European infrastructure, you can blow it up. They have thus given preemptive permission for terrorist attacks in Europe. Poland not only released a terrorist but is honoring him as well – this is the point to which the European rule of law has come,” wrote Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on social media.
Sikorski responded on his X account, stating that it was a matter of “self-defense.”
“No, Peter. When a foreign aggressor bombs your country, you may lawfully retaliate by sabotaging the aggressor’s ability to finance the war,” replied Sikorski.
On October 21, it was reported that explosions occurred at refineries in Hungary and Romania, which were processing, among other things, Russian oil.
Initially, the media did not rule out sabotage, but both countries later stated that there was no evidence of criminal activity and that the incidents were unrelated.
In contrast to Poland, the Court of Appeals of Bologna in Italy ordered, on October 27, the extradition to Germany of Ukrainian citizen Sergei Kuznetsov, who is accused of bombing the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines.
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