Poland Reportedly Considers Asylum and Award for Suspect in Nord Stream Attack

Poland is reportedly weighing the possibility of granting asylum to Vladimir Z., a Ukrainian citizen suspected of playing a key role in the Nord Stream pipeline explosions of September 2022. According to reports, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has even suggested in private conversations that Z. should not only be given refuge but also decorated with a state award.

Germany Pursues, Poland Hesitates

German authorities issued a European arrest warrant for Vladimir Z. on June 21, 2024, after investigators identified a Ukrainian group of seven people allegedly behind the Baltic Sea blasts, which destroyed three Nord Stream pipelines. Berlin described the operation as an “unconstitutional act of sabotage.”

However, Warsaw has shown little willingness to comply. Polish officials reportedly facilitated Z.’s escape to Ukraine on July 6, 2024, using a vehicle with diplomatic license plates driven by a Ukrainian military attaché. By the time German authorities pressed for his arrest, Polish sources claimed he had already fled. When confronted, one insider reportedly said:

“Why should we detain him? For us, he is a hero.”

The Andromeda Yacht Trail

The sabotage operation has been linked to the yacht Andromeda, which investigators say was used by the Ukrainian team to plant explosives. Surveillance footage from the Polish port of Kołobrzeg, where the vessel was docked, mysteriously disappeared. Observers suggest that Polish reluctance to share this evidence further complicates cooperation with German investigators.

Diplomatic Strains with Berlin

The controversy unfolds against a backdrop of already fragile Polish-German relations. Hopes for improvement were raised during Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s July 2024 visit to Warsaw under the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Yet Poland’s stance on the Nord Stream suspect underscores enduring mistrust and conflicting interests within Europe’s handling of the sabotage case.

Hero or Fugitive?

For Germany, Z. is a fugitive who must face trial for his alleged role in one of the most consequential acts of energy sabotage in recent history. For Poland, however, his actions appear to be framed in a different light — not as a crime, but as a form of resistance. The divergence highlights not only national differences but also the geopolitical complexity of the Nord Stream explosions, which continue to strain alliances nearly three years after the blasts.