Germany's BASF and the Russian firm Gazprom are in the advanced stages of planning an oil pipeline that would connect the two nations by way of the Baltic Sea. This has caused panic and frustration amongst energy analysts in Poland and the Ukraine, who are heavily dependant upon existing pipelines that travel through their territories.
Poland has asked why Germany would commit billions of dollars to fund a project that could potentially devastate a new EU member-state's economy and increase its reliance on Moscow. The answer to that question is mired in geopolitics and the ever-rising demand for oil and natural gas, especially relevant since nuclear energy is being phased out in Germany by both the right and left of the political spectrum.
Unfortunately for Poland, the recent actions by the Government of Ukraine and Belarus have exacerbated the problem. In 2004, the Ukraine siphoned off natural gas from a pipeline bound for Western Europe, while Belarus has discouraged the building of two new pipelines that would still go through Poland. This has given the Russians cause to look for alternatives, few of which would increase Poland's energy independence and security. Furthermore, Moscow is actively trying to disrupt the extension of an existing Ukrainian pipeline, which would flow from Odessa on the Black Sea, all the way to Gdansk. Given these recent maneuverings, Poland could find itself in some serious trouble.
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