President Duda Is Right: Nord Stream Should Be Dismantled

Poland’s President says no more Russian gas. Find out why dismantling Nord Stream matters—and how this bold move could reshape America’s own strategic outlook.

On Monday the BBC published a revealing interview with Polish President Andrzej Duda, in which he forcefully stated that the Nord Stream gas pipelines running between Russia and Germany should be permanently dismantled. In his view, and one that resonates with many Central and Eastern European countries, shutting down these pipelines for good would remove the temptation for countries like Germany to revert to Russian gas supplies—even in the aftermath of a potential peace deal. This debate has been rekindled as some German politicians, struggling with a sluggish economy, show eagerness to rekindle business with Russia, despite the ongoing consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“This pipeline causes a very big threat to Ukraine, to Poland, to Slovakia but also to other Central European countries,” President Duda told the BBC, referring to Nord Stream. “It is a threat from the point of view of energy, from the point of view of the military but also it is a huge economic threat because it means a domination of Russia over Europe in the economic sense.” These powerful words lay bare Poland’s deep concerns not only about the pipeline’s symbolic value but also its strategic importance for the Kremlin’s leverage over Europe.