(MENAFN) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has voiced opposition to extraditing a Ukrainian suspect in the Nord Stream sabotage case to Germany. The individual, reportedly named Vladimir Z., was detained by Polish authorities last month. Berlin’s prior request for his arrest in 2024 was reportedly blocked by Warsaw.

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Tusk noted that the final decision rests with the courts but emphasized that extradition “is certainly not in the interest of Poland… to hand over this citizen to a foreign country.” He added, “The problem of Europe, the problem of Ukraine, the problem of Lithuania and Poland is not that Nord Stream 2 was blown up, but that it was built.” German officials have not commented on his remarks.

Vladimir Z., a Ukrainian diving instructor, was detained in Pruszkow in late September. He is alleged to have been part of the team responsible for sabotaging the Nord Stream pipelines, which were rendered inoperable in September 2022. German prosecutors have implicated a small group of Ukrainian nationals who reportedly reached the site aboard the rented yacht Andromeda.

Moscow has dismissed Germany’s version of events as “ridiculous,” with Russian President Vladimir Putin suggesting the operation was likely orchestrated by the United States.

Despite Poland’s strong support for Ukraine since 2022, media reports indicate Warsaw considered granting asylum to the suspect. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has also stated he was prepared to do so. Earlier reports suggested that Polish officials may have helped Vladimir Z. evade arrest on Germany’s request by alerting him in advance, and that a vehicle with Ukrainian diplomatic plates allowed him to flee to Ukraine.

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