The 46-year-old Ukrainian Volodymyr Z. has been in custody in Warsaw since late September 2025. He has been the subject of an international arrest warrant and was detained in Poland on September 30, 2025. Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe suspects him of involvement in the attack on the Nord Stream pipeline in September 2022. However, last week, Warsaw's district court extended Z.'s pretrial detention by 40 days, until November 9.

For the liberal-conservative Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Germany's extradition request causes a dilemma. Berlin remains a strategic partner for the Polish center-left government despite tensions. Moreover, Tusk is keen to present his country as a functioning constitutional state after years of alleged undemocratic acts by the previous national-conservative government.

On the other hand, almost all political forces in Poland agree that the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline was in Poland's national interest. In which case, the perpetrator would rather deserve praise and recognition than punishment.

'Explosion was not the problem'

Shortly after Volodymyr Z. was detained, Tusk emphasized that independent judges will have to decide on his case. However, the Polish prime minister also made no secret of the fact that he is against his extradition.

"The problem with North Stream 2 is not that it was blown up. The problem is that it was built," Tusk posted on X.

Last Tuesday during a visit by Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene, he also said that "it is certainly not in Poland's interest, nor in the interest of decency and justice, to prosecute this citizen or extradite him to another country."

Was Nord Stream attack evidence convincing?

Tomasz Siemoniak, the coordinator of the Polish secret services and a confidant of Tusk, believes that the public prosecutor's office has the task of "convincing the court that extradition to Germany is a bad idea."

Siemoniak emphasized that it was questionable whether or not the evidence linking this specific person to the pipeline explosion was convincing.

By taking a clear stand in favor of Volodymyr Z., Tusk also attempted to counter criticism from Poland's right-wing conservative camp who see the pro-European and pro-German politician as a "German agent".

At a protest rally against illegal migration in Warsaw on Saturday, opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski accused Tusk of wanting to establish a "German protectorate" in Poland. Right-wing extremist activist Robert Bakiewicz called the prime minister a "servant of Germany" and said that an "imperial Germany" was just as dangerous as Russia.

Polish stance condemned by Hungary

Poland's right-wing conservative opposition also used the extradition request from Germany's Karlsruhe as a pretext for attacks against the government. The "Tusk state" wanted to extradite the arrested Ukrainian to Germany, warned Pawel Jablonski, former deputy foreign minister from the Law and Justice Party (PiS). Volodymyr Z. faced "political repression" in Germany, he alleged. "Anyone who attacks the German-Russian alliance in the FRG is considered an enemy," Jablonski wrote on X.

There was also criticism from Hungary, albeit for entirely different reasons. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Tusk's stance was "shocking."

"One thing is clear: we don't want a Europe where prime ministers defend terrorists," he wrote on X.

Nord Stream remains a red flag for Poland

The Nord Stream project, which then-German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated politically in 2005, has been a thorn in Poland's side from the outset. Initially, Warsaw was primarily concerned about the loss of transit fees, as Russian gas had previously been transported through Poland to Western Europe. However, with growing tensions over Ukraine, geopolitical arguments came to the fore.

As early as 2006, Radoslaw Sikorski, then Minister of Defense and now Polish Foreign Minister, railed against Nord Stream, comparing the Baltic Sea pipeline to the Hitler-Stalin Pact of 1939, a non-aggression deal that secretly divided Eastern Europe. In the past 21 years, Polish criticism of the German-Russian project has been a recurring topic in German-Polish discussions, regardless what party currently holds the reins in Warsaw.

A Polish trial?

Polish journalists are asking why Volodymyr Z. was arrested at that particular moment, given that the arrest warrant was issued a year ago. Media reports suggest the suspect was warned in advance and was able to leave for Ukraine. Meanwhile, it is unclear why he returned to Poland. At the time, Tusk urged initiators and patrons of Nord Stream 1 and 2. "The only thing you should do today about it is apologize and keep quiet," he said.

Recently, the independent Polish news website OKO.press speculated that the Polish government intended to demonstrate its cooperation with Germany through the arrest. Warsaw is reportedly interested in having its arrest warrants enforced in its western neighbor.

Polish media outlets are suggesting a way out of the dilemma surrounding Volodymyr Z. as investigations into the Nord Stream explosion are also underway in Poland. In these proceedings, Volodymyr Z. has the status of a witness and was questioned a few days ago. "If charges are brought against him in Poland, he will have to answer to a Polish court," according to OKO.press. The Ukrainian has been living in Poland for three years and runs a construction company near Warsaw.

The conservative Polish think tank Klub Jagiellonski sees the German extradition request as an opportunity for Tusk. "By rejecting the request, Tusk can kill two birds with one stone: he can demonstrate his assertiveness towards Berlin and strengthen his negotiating position with Ukraine," an analysis by the think tank concludes.

This article was originally published in German.