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Polish Defense Minister's Pipeline Remark Angers Germany


German politicians are demanding that Polish Defense Minister Radek Sikorski minister take back comments comparing a German-Russian pipeline deal to the 1939 Nazi-Soviet pact.

The proposed pipeline would be built under the Baltic Sea, north of Poland and bypassing Polish territory.

Sikorski said earlier this week that Poland is particularly sensitive to deals made above its head.

He said the oil pipeline deal is in the Molotov-Ribbentrop tradition, referring to the infamous 1939 pact between the Soviet and Nazi German foreign ministers dividing Poland between the two countries.

Sikorski also criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel to for not renegotiating the deal which was made by the previous German government.

A European Commission spokesman Tuesday called Sikorski's comments about the pipeline deal unhelpful.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
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