Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said it is not in Poland's interest to hand over a Ukrainian man wanted by Germany for suspected involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions.

Tusk told reporters Tuesday that while the final decision rests with the court, Poland remains opposed to the pipelines, which it has long argued made Europe overly dependent on Russian energy.

What did PM Tusk say about the Nord Stream suspect?

"The problem of Europe, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland is not that Nord Stream 2 was blown up, but that it was built," he said.

"It is certainly not in the interest of Poland to hand over this citizen to a foreign country."

Volodymyr Z., the Ukrainian suspect, was detained near Warsaw in late September.

A Polish court ruled Monday that he must remain in custody for another 40 days while it considers Germany's request under a European arrest warrant.

Tusk also criticized former Chancellor Angela Merkel — without mentioning her directly — over her decision to authorize Nord Stream 2.

"Russia, with money from some European states and German and (Anglo-) Dutch companies, built Nord Stream 2 against the vital interests not only of our states, but of all of Europe, and there can be no ambiguity about that," he asserted.

What has the Nord Stream investigation uncovered?

The 2022 blasts on the Nord Stream pipelines were widely described as sabotage and deepened tensions over the war in Ukraine. No group has claimed responsibility, and Kyiv has denied involvement.

Another Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the attacks was arrested in Italy in August and plans to fight extradition to Germany. Volodymyr Z.'s lawyer has said his client is innocent and will plead not guilty.

According to leaks from the German Prosecutor's Office to the German media, a group of Ukrainians with ties to the secret services and the Kiev Armed Forces are believed to have been behind the attack, although it is unclear to what extent senior officials were aware of the alleged operation to destroy the infrastructure.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn