German politicians stress cooperation in the wake of the suggestion that Germany finance Polish armaments as reparations for World War II.
Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference, had proposed that Germany provide Poland with military equipment, emphasizing that “Poland is a frontline state.”
Poland has been vocal in its demand for what it says amounts to €1.3 trillion in World War II reparations Germany must pay for the crimes, deaths, and massive property destruction caused by the 1939-1945 occupation.
Despite some discussions, Germany has long maintained that Poland renounced all claims to reparations in 1953.
“From the Polish perspective, the issue of reparations remains unresolved,” he said in an interview for Die Welt, cited by wPolityce.
“What if Germany, recognizing Poland’s role as a frontline state, gave Warsaw a submarine, a frigate or a few tanks?” Ischinger asked.
German politicians and experts have since expressed their concerns with the idea.
Thomas Erndl, spokesman for the defense policy of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, told Die Welt that there was no need for this because a strong Bundeswehr protects not only Germany but also its allies.
“The brigade stationed in Lithuania is a visible sign of our solidarity as allies… If we all focus our efforts on rapidly expanding our military capabilities, and thus on guaranteeing our European security, historical sensitivity will play a subordinate role,” Erndl argued.
Adis Ahmetović, spokesman for foreign policy of the SPD parliamentary group, emphasized that gaining Poland’s trust can only come from a stronger foundation.
“Some of our partners, such as France and Poland, sometimes show reticence. Trust is not built through symbolic gestures like military donations, but through reliable and close cooperation. Therefore, it is essential to consistently deepen and further develop proven formats, such as the Weimar Triangle,” she said.
“We should not allow ourselves to be distracted, let alone exploited, in the process of building a common European defense, which all of Europe is waiting for,” added Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann from the Free Democratic Party, chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Defence Committee.
Agnieszka Brugger, spokeswoman for security policy of the Green Party parliamentary group in the Bundestag, seemed confused by the idea, stating, “Conflating such a strange idea with the very delicate and difficult issue of ‘reparations’ is not very helpful.”
“It seems a bit strange, and perhaps even paternalistic, to want to give weapons systems to a country that has been determinedly and successfully building one of NATO’s strongest conventional armed forces for years,” Professor Carlo Masala from the Bundeswehr University in Munich told Die Welt.
CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter noted: “We cannot buy ourselves out of our responsibility to defend Europe by simply giving up a few tanks.”
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