During a visit to Berlin on Tuesday, newly elected Polish President Karol Nawrocki proposed a connection between Germany’s stance on historical reparations and Poland’s commitment to bolstering NATO’s eastern flank. Sources familiar with the discussions, reported by “Der Spiegel”, indicate that President Nawrocki suggested a linkage, essentially stating that Poland would increase its contribution to NATO’s eastern defenses if Germany were to address the longstanding reparations claims.
The proposal met with a firm response from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who, according to attendees, emphasized that the two issues are entirely separate. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who also met with President Nawrocki, echoed this position and similarly rejected the reparations claims.
The demand for substantial reparations from Germany for damages inflicted upon Poland during World War II has been a recurring theme in Polish politics, particularly advocated by the right-leaning Law and Justice (PiS) party. President Nawrocki had previously signaled his intention to revisit the matter, formally requesting reparations valued at €1.3 trillion. The German government maintains that there is no legal basis for these claims, considering the matter to be definitively settled.
