Poland leaves behind WWII amends claim against Germany
Date
2/18/2024 4:19:14 AM
(MENAFN) In a significant announcement, Poland's Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, declared that the country is withdrawing its demand for over a trillion dollars in compensation from Germany for losses incurred during the Nazi Occupation in World War II. Sikorski stated in an interview that the issue of reparations is closed, citing a decision made during the Potsdam Conference. This decision marks a departure from Poland's previous government's repeated calls for compensation, insisting that the country was never adequately reimbursed for the damages inflicted by Nazi Germany.
The current Foreign Minister pointed to his predecessor, Anna Fotyga, who clarified many years ago that reparations could not be obtained. Sikorski emphasized that Potsdam, a key post-World War II conference, had determined otherwise, contributing to the closure of the reparations issue. This decision comes after Poland's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, addressed the matter during a joint meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. Tusk clarified that the note sent to German authorities by the previous Polish government did not use the term "reparations" but referred to "some kind of compensation."
The legal and international aspect of the reparations matter was deemed closed by Tusk, reiterating that the issue was resolved many years ago. The push for compensation gained traction in 2022 when Poland presented a report on the losses suffered during the German invasion and occupation in World War II. The then-Foreign Minister, Zbigniew Rau, demanded PLN 6.2 trillion (approximately USD1.5 trillion) in compensation for damages.
However, Germany asserted that the matter had already been settled when Poland relinquished its right to restitution in 1953 under an agreement with East Germany.
Furthermore, Germany argued that the issue was definitively resolved under a 1990 treaty on German reunification. The recent decision by Poland's Foreign Minister to abandon the reparations claim signals a diplomatic shift and underscores the historical complexities surrounding compensation for wartime damages.
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