Croatia must extradite to Germany a Ukrainian man who is alleged to have participated in the sabotage of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, especially since Kiev’s attempts to block the extradition will prove the Ukrainian state’s guilt, Steffen Kotre, a lawmaker from the Alternative for Germany faction, told TASS.

“Anyone who invokes ‘functional immunity’ when attacking civilian infrastructure makes the situation even more politically explosive: after all, this essentially asserts that the crime was committed on the orders of the state. If Kiev attempts to prevent extradition or influence the course of the proceedings, this will not only be yet another serious blow to German-Ukrainian relations but also yet another clear indication of a Ukrainian connection and state involvement,” the lawmaker stated.

However, he noted that the German government is likely worried about “the moment when it finally becomes clear to the German public that the state Germany has supported with billions of euros for many years is responsible for destroying a key component of Germany’s energy infrastructure in collaboration with the US.”