WARSAW, Poland >> The United States and Poland are taking a strong joint stand against a planned gas pipeline linking Russia to Germany.

They say it’s a Russian scheme to politicize energy and undermine attempts to diversify European fuel supplies and make European countries less dependent on Moscow.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is visiting Poland, and he’s joining Polish Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz in denouncing the planned pipeline.

The pipeline would bypass Poland and leave Central Europe vulnerable to Russian pressure.

It would be the second pipeline to carry Russian gas directly to Germany and Western Europe via the Baltic Sea instead of through Poland and Ukraine.

The U.S. has for years sought to wean its friends and allies in Europe from their dependence on Russian natural gas.