In July 2018, Conservative MP of Polish descent Daniel Kawczynski wrote a letter to the then UK Prime Minister Theresa May warning about the dangers associated with the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline connecting Russia to Germany while bypassing countries of Central and Eastern Europe.  

“We must speak with one voice about the dangers posed by Nord Stream 2, thanks to which the Kremlin will gain political and economic influence in Europe. This is undesirable from a geopolitical perspective and undermines the principle of European Union energy solidarity. The British government must act” – he wrote. 

In his letter, Daniel Kawczynski also referred to the 2009 Ukraine gas crisis, during which Russia halted its supplies through that country. He emphasised the importance of diversifying Europe’s gas suppliers in order to avoid a situation of dependence on Russia. 

In March 2021, the Warsaw-born MP gave a speech in the House of Commons Adjournment Debate on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. He argued that the direct pipeline from the Russian Federation to Germany would “strip the United Kingdom’s Central and Eastern European allies off the protection which their transit-state status currently provides them with and would enable Russia to use energy security as a political weapon – thereby endangering the cohesion of the NATO alliance as well.”

“We are now […] arguably the strongest military power on our continent […] and that is why I believe this Government must now take a lead on our continent in having this project stopped.”

He urged the Government to engage with the Three Seas Initiative on a strategic level, which may balance the effects of the region’s reliance on Russian gas.

Minister Wendy Morton then endorsed Mr Kawczynski’s point of view on the matter. “I know that some ask whether the UK could be doing more to oppose Nord Stream 2 […] The UK welcomes the efforts of the three seas initiative to promote cooperation and development across central and Eastern Europe, and we are open to the possibility of expanding the UK’s interaction with that group. I reassure Members that we will continue to share our concerns about Nord Stream 2 with key partners” – she explained. 

Daniel Kawczynski and the other MPs who had been warning about the threat of Russian blackmail would probably prefer to have been wrong. However, the time has proven them right and the scenario the dangerous scenario they depicted is unfolding in front of our eyes. 

Image: danielkawczynski.pl

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen