Germany’s new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has met in Warsaw with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki for talks about the Belarus migrant crisis, Russia's troop buildup near its border with Ukraine, and Poland's opposition to the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.
On a trip he has described as a "friendship visit," Scholz was greeted on December 12 by Morawiecki in front of the Polish leader's office.
Germany has backed Poland's efforts to stop the flow of thousands of migrants seeking entry from Belarus, a crisis that the European Union and Poland say Minsk has orchestrated in retaliation for sanctions over a crackdown on a pro-democracy movement in the country.
SEE ALSO: Polish PM Calls For 'Concrete Steps' From NATO Amid Migrant Crisis On Belarus BorderThe Russia military buildup has sparked concerns among NATO allies of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
But there are issues of disagreement between Warsaw and Berlin.
Poland opposes the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would deliver Russian natural gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea. German regulators have suspended the approval procedure for the pipeline over EU legal issues.
SEE ALSO: Winter Is Coming: Europe's Gas Markets Hit Unusual Turbulence -- And Eyes Turn To MoscowWarsaw says the project will make Europe dependent on Russian gas deliveries and exposes the European Union to pressure from Moscow. German regulators have suspended the approval procedure for the pipeline over legal issues.
Germany and the United States have reportedly reached a deal that would shelve Nord Stream 2 if Russia were to invade Ukraine.
"It would be a serious mistake to believe that violating the borders of a European country would remain without consequences,” Scholz said.
Germany's new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told broadcaster ZDF that under an agreement between Berlin and Washington the Nord Stream 2 project would be halted if Russia escalates against Ukraine.
"In the event of further escalation, this gas pipeline could not come into service," Baerbock said after a G7 meeting of foreign ministers in the U.K.
She added that Germany prefers to engage Russia in diplomacy to de-escalate the situation around Ukraine.
SEE ALSO: Talk Of War: Frontline Ukrainian Soldiers Respond To Invasion WarningsU.S. President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 7 that Nord Stream 2 could be disrupted and tough economic sanctions put in place if Russian troops invade Ukraine.
Scholz and Morawiecki also discussed a dispute that the Polish government is involved in with the European Commission.
Brussels says Warsaw is violating EU provisions with policies that are eroding the independence of Poland's judicial system. The EU’s executive arm is withholding pandemic recovery funds from Poland over the issue.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) imposed fines on Poland after finding that judicial reforms passed by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party breached EU law.
Poland has refused to pay the fine and its top court has ruled that Polish law can take precedence over EU rules.
Scholz told reporters after his December 12 talks in Warsaw that he hopes Poland and the EU will find a common solution to the legal dispute over the judicial reforms.
Scholz's visit to Warsaw took place in the 30th anniversary year of the Treaty of Good Neighborship and Friendly Cooperation between Poland and Germany, signed on June 17, 1991.
Warsaw is the third European capital that Scholz has visited since taking office, after visits to Paris and Brussels.