Poland demands $1.3 trillion in World War II reparations from Germany.

 

The Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. New York Post/AP.

Poland is demanding $1.3 trillion in World War II reparations from Germany. Fox News. The Foreign Minster of Poland sent a note to Germany demanding the payment. Nazi Germany committed many atrocities in World War II against Poland. However, Germany argues that Poland settled the issue back in 1953 when they signed an agreement with East Germany relinquishing all claims for war debt. Poland argues that agreement isn't valid because it came under pressure under the Soviet Union, despite the fact that the country gained land from Germany due to the deal. 40,000 Germans were forced to leave the area that Poland occupied due to the agreement. 

My Comment:

The relationship between Germany and Poland is a terrible one, especially considering that they are critical trading partners and military allies. The idea that Poland would be bringing up World War II now is just crazy to me. 

And I don't think their claims have any merit whatsoever. Sure, the Nazis committed many atrocities against Poland but that's ancient history now. And I don't buy their argument that they were forced into an agreement by the Soviets. That might even be true, but the issue was considered solved for decades and it's not like they didn't get a lot in that agreement. They got land and money and now they are arguing they should get $1.3 trillion? It's idiotic. 

Poland's arrogance on this issue is the main reason why I suspect that they were the ones that attacked the Nord Stream pipelines. They have the ability and doing so weakened both their traditional enemies, Germany and Russia. It still could have been the United States, but I tend to think it was Poland. 

The timing of this is fairly poor as well. Supposedly, all of Europe is under threat from Russia right now, but now is the time that Poland is pushing this? If Russia is going to attack Poland, wouldn't it make more sense to try and get along with their German allies? Like I said though, Poland hates both Germany and Russia. 

I doubt that this money will ever be paid out. Right now Germany simply doesn't have the money. They are going to go broke due to skyrocketing natural gas prices. And with the Nord Stream pipelines destroyed they will not be making any money anytime soon. Indeed, many of their factories will shut down and may even move to the United States. Poland is trying to squeeze juice out of a turnip here. 

I know that a few people are saying that our European policy is as much making war on Germany as it is making war on Russia. Indeed, the biggest losers from both the attack on the Nord Stream pipeline and the sanctions against Russia were not Russia. It was Germany. The German economy is going to crash and it probably won't recover without any access to cheap energy. This demand for reparations, should it be granted, would probably utterly destroy Germany.