WARSAW – Germany has formally rejected a World War II reparations claim estimated to be €1.3 trillion (RM6.04 trillion), the Polish Foreign Ministry said yesterday.
Since coming to power in 2015, Poland’s governing Law and Justice party has championed the issue and evoked Germany’s “moral duty”.
Poland in September estimated the financial cost of World War II losses to be €1.3 trillion and sent a formal diplomatic note to Berlin demanding compensation.
Berlin has repeatedly rejected the claims, saying Poland officially renounced such demands in a 1953 accord.
“According to the German government, the issue of reparations and compensation for wartime losses remains closed and it does not intend to enter into negotiations,” the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The German Foreign Ministry confirmed that it had “responded to a verbal note from Poland dated October 3” but did not give any details.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had rejected the demand during a visit to Warsaw in October saying the issue was for Berlin a closed chapter.
The Polish Foreign Ministry said meanwhile it “will further continue to seek compensation for German aggression and occupation in 1939-1945”.
Also yesterday, Warsaw said it had called on the United Nations for support in its efforts to receive war reparations.
Polish conservatives argue their country was forced to sign the 1953 accord by the Soviet Union. – AFP, January 4, 2023
