Connect with us

Germany

Poland says Germany refused talks on World War Two reparations

SHARE:

Published

3 years ago

on

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Germany has rebuffed Poland's latest request for large reparations over World War Two. Responding to a diplomatic note, the Foreign Ministry in Warsaw stated Tuesday (3 January) that the issue had been closed.

A spokesperson for Germany's foreign ministry stated that it had replied to a Polish letter on the subject in October. He did not comment on diplomatic correspondence.

Poland has estimated its World War Two loss to Germany at 6.2 trillion Zlotys ($1.4 Trillion) and demanded reparations. However, Berlin repeatedly stated that all financial claims related the war were settled.

Arkadiusz Molczyk, Poland’s deputy foreign minister, stated that "this answer, to sumit it up, shows an absolut disrespectful attitude toward Poland and Poles." He spoke in an interview with Polish Press Agency.

"Germany doesn't pursue a friendly policy toward Poland. They want to expand their sphere of influence there and treat Poland like a vassal."

Mularczyk answered a question about continued dialogue with Germany on compensation. He said that it would be "through international organizations".

Six million Poles were killed, including three million Polish Jews. Warsaw was also razed to its foundations following an uprising in 1944 that saw about 200,000 civilians die.

Advertisement

Under Soviet Union pressure, Poland's communist rulers gave up all claims to war reparations in 1953. They wanted to release East Germany, another Soviet satellite, from any liabilities.

The ruling Polish nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS), claims that the agreement is invalid as Poland failed to negotiate fair compensation. Since 2015, it has been a force for justice in Poland and made promotion of Poland's wartime victims a key part of its appeal to nationalism.

PiS's combative stance toward Germany, which was often used to mobilize its constituency has caused tensions with Berlin.

Last October, the German foreign minister Annalena Bock stated that the pain suffered by Germany in World War Two was "passed along through generations" in Poland. However, the matter of reparations was closed.

Share this article:

Related Topics:
EU Reporter publishes articles from a variety of outside sources which express a wide range of viewpoints. The positions taken in these articles are not necessarily those of EU Reporter. Please see EU Reporter’s full Terms and Conditions of publication for more information EU Reporter embraces artificial intelligence as a tool to enhance journalistic quality, efficiency, and accessibility, while maintaining strict human editorial oversight, ethical standards, and transparency in all AI-assisted content. Please see EU Reporter’s full A.I. Policy for more information.
Advertisement

Trending