Poland is seeking to build international pressure on Germany over what it claims is approximately $1.3 trillion in reparations Germany owes the country for the Second World War. During a trip to the United States, Polish Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk stated that he discussed the issue of reparations with several politicians in both parties who showed “greater interest than anticipated.”
“We see certain possibilities for cooperation with congressmen and senators from both parties,” said Mularczyk during a press briefing. He explained that many politicians were not aware of the magnitude of the problem, but they suggested “some possible ways” of acting.
“Here in the U.S., property law is so strong, and 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,” the Polish deputy foreign minister said.
Mularczyk added that there is room for cooperation between the U.S. and Poland because congressmen recognize that German conduct “is incompatible with standards of the rule of law and the protection of human rights.”
“Hopefully, this matter becomes the subject of cooperation, step by step, as it requires time,” said Mularczyk
He stressed that the issue of reparations “does not affect relations inside NATO and the EU in any way.”
The minister left Washington on Thursday and traveled to New York to meet with deputy secretary-generals in the UN to discuss the possibility of the UN also cooperating with Poland on the issue of German reparations.
In September 2022, Poland published a full report on all the damage the country suffered during the invasion by Nazi Germany and the subsequent occupation of Poland, which were estimated at over $1.3 trillion.
At the beginning of October, Poland issued a diplomatic note on compensation for damages incurred during the war and formally submitted it to Germany. The German government has responded by stating that it considers the matter closed and that it does not intend to conduct any negotiations regarding reparations.
