Poland says Germany has ‘obligation’ to pay WWII reparations

WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s top politician says that the government will seek reparations from Germany for the Nazis’ World War II invasion and occupation of his country.

Main ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski says it is Poland’s “obligation” to do so. He is speaking shortly ahead of the release a long-awaited report on the cost to the country of years of Nazi German occupation as it marks 83 years since the start of World War II.

Poland’s right-wing government argues that the country, which was the war’s first victim, has not been fully compensated by neighboring Germany, which is now one of its major partners within the European Union.

Top leaders including Kaczynski, who is Poland’s chief policy maker, and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki are to attend the ceremonial release of the report at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. It is to be the main point of national observances of the anniversary of the war that began September 1, 1939, with Nazi Germany’s bombing and invading Poland, for more than five years of brutal occupation.

A team of some 30 economists, historians and other experts have worked on the report since 2017. The issue has created bilateral tensions.