US, Poland voice concern over Russia's gas pipeline

US and Polish leaders have expressed their concerns here over Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, claiming it may lead to energy over-reliance on Moscow.

Visiting Polish President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday told reporters at a joint press conference with his US counterpart Donald Trump that his country was worried about "a threat of Russian energy domination".

Russia's Nord Stream 2 will expand the existing Nord Stream main gas pipeline by linking Russia and Germany via the Baltic seabed, bypassing Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and other eastern European and Baltic countries.

Poland, along with Ukraine, opposed Nord Stream 2, worrying that Russia will reduce or even cease delivering gas via their countries, which will affect their economies, Xinhua news agency reported.

Echoing Duda's words, Trump said that the two countries were committed to "energy diversity all across Europe".

"No nation should be dependent upon a single foreign supplier of energy," Trump added.

Germany, due to its energy and commercial requirements, is a staunch supporter of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Europe. It thinks Europe needs Russia's gas and Russia wants to make money from Europe.

In order to maintain its strategic relations with Washington, Poland had said earlier that it would like to pay higher prices to import US liquefied natural gas (LNG).

A key LNG exporter itself, the US is believed to be afraid that Nord Stream 2 would further weaken the voice of European countries in the natural gas market.

--IANS

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