Poland continues its efforts in building international pressure on Berlin over what it claims is approximately $1.3 trillion in reparations Germany owes the country for the massive war losses inflicted during WW2.
During a recent trip to the UA, Polish Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk discussed the issue of reparations with several local Congressmen. The latter showed “greater interest than anticipated” in that issue.
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“Here in the US […] many congressmen were stunned that Germany had stolen from Poland and had not settled this up until this day. It was a cognitive shock for them,” Mularczyk told Polish media.
He continued by assuring that there is “room for cooperation between the US and Poland” because congressmen acknowledge that German conduct “is incompatible with standards of the rule of law and the protection of human rights.”
The Polish politician travelled from Washington to New York last week to meet with deputy secretaries-general in the UN to get the international organisation involved in solving this sensitive issue.
Back in September 2022, Poland published a detailed report on all the damage the country suffered during the invasion by Nazi Germany and the subsequent occupation of Poland, which was estimated at over $1.3 trillion.
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In early October, Poland’s Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau signed a diplomatic note to Germany concerning reparations for damages committed by this state on Poland during WW2.
The Polish and German visions are colliding. Warsaw argues that payment of reparations would allow for the strengthening of bilateral relations. On the other hand, Berlin estimates that the matter was closed long ago.
The German government later responded by stating that it considered the matter closed and did not intend to conduct any negotiations regarding reparations.
Image: TVP 1 (screenshot)
Author: Sébastien Meuwissen