Enlarge image
Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau with Annalena Baerbock in December 2021
Photo:
Janek Skarzynski / AFP
Shortly before a visit by Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to Warsaw, the Polish government formalized its claims on Germany for reparations amounting to trillions.
Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau signed a corresponding diplomatic note to the federal government on Monday.
Both states should now immediately take steps to permanently and effectively settle the question of the consequences of German aggression and occupation in World War II, Rau said at a press conference.
Government rejects request
At the beginning of September, Poland's ruling nationalist party PiS demanded the equivalent of 1.32 trillion euros from Germany to pay for the damage caused by the war.
The Foreign Office immediately rejected the demand and declared: "The position of the federal government is unchanged, the reparations question is closed." Poland had renounced further reparations "a long time ago" and confirmed this several times.
This is "an essential basis for the current order in Europe".
Baerbock wants to travel to Warsaw in the afternoon, where she will meet with Rau on Tuesday morning.
Both want to speak to the press in the morning.
Around six million Poles lost their lives in World War II, including three million Polish Jews.
Warsaw was badly destroyed by the Nazis in 1944 during the suppression of the uprising, and around 200,000 civilians died.
In 1953, the then communist government of Poland, under pressure from the Soviet Union, waived all demands for reparations.
The government in Moscow wanted to prevent similar demands on the former GDR.
The PiS considers this agreement to be invalid.
mas/Reuters