Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has expressed hope that the future German government will change its position on the disputed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and has accused Moscow of using the gas pipeline as a weapon against Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.

“I would expect the new German government to do everything possible to prevent Nord Stream 2 from being an instrument in the arsenal of President (Russian Vladimir) Putin,” Morawiecki said in an interview with the German news agency dpa published on Sunday, according to Agerpres.

The pipeline has become “a tool to blackmail Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova,” the Polish prime minister added. “It is also a tool for manipulating energy prices.”

The 1,230-kilometer pipeline across the Baltic Sea is meant to transport gas from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine. Its construction has been completed, but the gas pipeline valves remain closed pending approval.

Last week, the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur, BNetzA) announced the suspension of the Nord Stream 2 approval procedure, citing the EU’s provision that the pipeline operator must be independent of the gas producer.