After the fall of USSR Rusia is in inconvenient position - it has to deal with Ukraine/Belarussia/Lativa to assure supplying Poland with Gas, and it has to deal with Poland to supply Gas to Western Europe.
It was factor that played big role in relations between these states and Russia. For example - last year Russia stopped supplying gas, because Ukraine didn't wanted to pay for gas that is uesd only for making the pipe work.
So because of Ukraine-Russia econo-war Poland didn't get the gas it paid for. Russia had to deal with Ukraine because of that. Russia often uses the pipes as economic weapon, and with the pipe beneath the Baltic sea it will be much worse - Russia will be in position to stop sending the gas to Ukraine, and nobody in Europe will give a damn. And Ukraine has many non resolved problems with Russia - like Russian ships in Crimea, big Russian "minority" in eastern regions, Ukraine wanted to NATO (or western part of it), and to UE. Now (after the blue one won) it all seems far, far away. Russia wanted Ukraine to be its "near abroad" - sth like colony. Gas pipe ommiting Ukraine will make it easier.
Of course - Russia can do with Germany what they want, but there are many political, ecological and economical concerns. And that pipe will go not only throught Russia and Germany national waters. I only wanted to give the POV of the other side.
It was factor that played big role in relations between these states and Russia. For example - last year Russia stopped supplying gas, because Ukraine didn't wanted to pay for gas that is uesd only for making the pipe work.
So because of Ukraine-Russia econo-war Poland didn't get the gas it paid for. Russia had to deal with Ukraine because of that. Russia often uses the pipes as economic weapon, and with the pipe beneath the Baltic sea it will be much worse - Russia will be in position to stop sending the gas to Ukraine, and nobody in Europe will give a damn. And Ukraine has many non resolved problems with Russia - like Russian ships in Crimea, big Russian "minority" in eastern regions, Ukraine wanted to NATO (or western part of it), and to UE. Now (after the blue one won) it all seems far, far away. Russia wanted Ukraine to be its "near abroad" - sth like colony. Gas pipe ommiting Ukraine will make it easier.
Of course - Russia can do with Germany what they want, but there are many political, ecological and economical concerns. And that pipe will go not only throught Russia and Germany national waters. I only wanted to give the POV of the other side.