Following Germany’s compensation settlement, Poland is evaluating potential claims against Russia as well. This stance was cited by Marcin Przydacz, head of the International Policy Bureau in the Polish Presidential Cabinet, who indicated that Warsaw believes a dialogue with Berlin could open doors to broader talks, possibly paving the way for discussions with Moscow once progress is made with Germany.
The Kremlin did not offer a comment on Przydacz’s remarks. Dmitry Peskov, the president’s press secretary, said no statement would be provided on statements he described as unclear.
Germany and Poland: stalled dialogue and ongoing demands
Poland continues to press Germany for compensation tied to the harm endured during the Second World War. Warsaw estimates the total could reach about 6.2 trillion zlotys, roughly 1.3 trillion dollars. In April, Poland accepted a resolution acknowledging that the question of payments required a path forward after Germany’s 1939 invasion.
Officials in Warsaw stressed that the plan to resolve the dispute does not hinge on the era of the Polish People’s Republic or on a post-1989 sovereignty framework, and they note that the relevant historical documents concern the period of the German occupation and the state structures of that era. German authorities have previously stated that negotiations on reparations would not proceed, pointing to a 1953 settlement that Poland says was arrived at under pressure and under conditions Poland disputes.
Poland maintains that the agreements reference the German Democratic Republic and the Polish People’s Republic, not a modern, sovereign Poland. Despite repeated statements that Berlin is unwilling to renegotiate, Poland continues to raise the issue with frequent public comments each year reaffirming the demand for compensation. In January, the Polish Foreign Ministry warned that a refusal to engage could affect Germany’s standing on the international stage.
Polish officials have argued that Germany presents itself as a moral authority on human rights and international law, yet the insistence on addressing the wartime legacy remains a source of tension. Polish leaders have asserted that the war caused extensive losses, including the deaths of millions of Poles, and that memory should be acknowledged in some form of reparative redress. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has underscored that the matter is both legal and historical and suggested that a lasting resolution could mark a turning point in contemporary German-Polish relations.
Last year, Warsaw submitted a detailed three-volume report outlining Poland’s losses attributed to the Nazi invasion and occupation during the six years of war. Assessing Poland’s wartime damages remains central to the broader dialogue on accountability and historical memory between the two nations.
Calls for compensation from Russia
Alongside these discussions, Polish lawmakers have urged consideration of compensation from Russia for its role in the war. President Andrzej Duda endorsed this argument last fall, contending that Russia joined the conflict and should be held financially responsible for the damage it caused, with confidence that a compensation case could be pursued.
In October, Poland’s Foreign Ministry announced the preparation of a report detailing the military damage attributed to the Soviet Union. The ministry stated that the study would mirror the approach used for documenting Poland’s losses during the German campaign and occupation from 1939 to 1945.
Russia has repeatedly opposed such efforts, with diplomats portraying attempts to rewrite the history of World War II as unacceptable. A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the idea of revising the historical record, calling the proposals an effort to distort the past.
Across both fronts, Polish officials emphasize that the questions surrounding wartime losses remain a priority in political discourse, reflecting deep-seated concerns about accountability, memory, and the long shadow of past conflicts on today’s diplomacy.