'No amount' can make up for Nazi occupation — Poland's Tusk

The German-Polish consultations in Warsaw come as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

You can follow our updates on those talks here. 

Hungary took on the EU's rotating presidency this month.

Budapest has long criticized the EU's military aid for Ukraine and made use of vetoes to delay deliveries.

Orban was an ally of Poland under the nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS), as both governments opposed the even distribution of migrants throughout the EU and had traded barbs with Brussels over accusations that they were undermining the rule of law.

PiS lost Poland's October 2023 election and was replaced by a government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist Civic Coalition (PO) after he formed a coalition with the New Left and the centre-right Third Way group.

Both PiS and PO are staunch supporters of providing Ukraine with military aid.

Here's more from Rosalia Romaniec, head of DW's Berlin Hauptsadtstudio near the Bundestag parliament, who's in Warsaw today:

Expectations were higher than the results — it is clear what eight years without intensive dialog between the partners have done and the need to catch up is evident in all areas. Due to the altered security situation in Europe, the Polish government believes that rapid movement is more necessary than ever. Donald Tusk has clearly formulated this in his statements as a message to the Germans.

Against this background, possible compensation payments are important gestures; however, support in the defense of Poland's borders in the east and protection against a possible Russian attack is seen as a necessity for the future by Poland.

Rosalia Romaniec, head of DW's Berlin Hauptsadtstudio near the Bundestag parliament, attended the press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Here's her snap analysis:

The German-Polish action plan is more of a declaration of intent and a list of projects that are now being tackled.

Tusk conceded: It does not contain much concrete information — especially with regard to defense and armaments cooperation. For the Poles, however, the Germans' very fundamental assurance that the eastern flank is not solely responsible for its own defense was important. There had been varying interpretations of this after the last EU summit.

This time, Olaf Scholz was able to dispel Donald Tusk's doubts in this regard. However, it remains unclear who will finance what and how.

Warsaw is urging Berlin to take more and faster action for security — investments in infrastructure so that tanks and weapons can be moved more easily and efficiently, and above all air defense.

Tusk's central, albeit somewhat hidden, message is that the Germans should now also do more for the security of the East than before because of their historical responsibility. The role of the Americans in safeguarding West Germany's security after the Second World War comes to mind.

This year's German-Polish government consultations represent a beginning with an open outcome. The impression remains: In Poland, the focus is very much on speed. This is for two reasons: Its own border forms part of NATO's eastern flank, so the danger is more tangible. They were also correct in their assessment of the threat from Russia years ago — in contrast to the governments in Berlin.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that there no amount of financial compensation could make good for Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland during World War II.

It comes after Germany's parliament voted to establish a German-Polish house in Berlin that would commemorate the victims of Nazi rule in Poland.

Scholz also said that Germany was ready to compensate living Polish victims of the Nazi occupation but not pay reparations to the Polish state.

Polish governments have long called for Germany to pay reparations, while Berlin has said that it considers that the matter was settled when Poland renounced its claims against East Germany in 1953. On Tuesday, Scholz reiterated Berlin's position.

Tusk said he was not disappointed by the lack of reparations and called the two proposals a "good gesture" on the part of the German government, according to Polish radio station RMF24.

"There are no gestures that would satisfy Poles and no amount of money that could offset what happened during World War II," the Polish premier stressed.

However, Tusk said: "If we hear today that Germany is ready to compensate those who were direct victims of the war [without paying reparations] … those are steps and signals in the right direction."

He said that Poland will continue to search for "solutions" that are not "in the spirit of political confrontation."

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Germany will be a "leader" for Europe's security.

"I cannot imagine that Germany would not be a leader for Europe's common security, including Poland's," Tusk said during a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was in Warsaw for German-Polish consultations.

Germany is the second-largest arms supplier to Ukraine after the United States and is the leading force behind the European Sky Shield air defense initiative.

The comments are likely to draw ire from politicians from the opposition nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS), as they have accused Tusk of being a "German agent" who wants to ensure Berlin's leadership of the EU.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Warsaw wanted its defense spending to be coordinated with that of other EU member states.

"Poland spends huge amounts of money on armaments," Tusk said during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"I would like our efforts to be well coordinated with the efforts of other countries."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he is certain Berlin will maintain cooperation with Weimar Triangle counterparts France and Poland regardless of the outcome of France's second round of parliamentary elections.

The Weimar Triangle regional alliance was created by Germany, France and Poland in 1991 and its importance has increased since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

"It is very important for us that we, as these three states, think together about the future of Europe," Scholz said during a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

"We are certain that, regardless of the outcome of the second round of the French elections, the cooperation between the French President (Emmanuel Macron) and Donald and myself will continue to be very good and that will also be the basis for our countries' relations," he said.

Macron called snap parliamentary elections after his party was defeated in EU parliament elections by the far-right National Rally party.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that there was "no doubt" that Poland and Germany will cooperate on bilateral initiatives and the European Sky Shield initative.

The German-initiated air defense system aims to bolster the NATO military alliance's protective capacity over Europe.

Tusk said that Warsaw and Berlin would work together despite differences on how defense projects should be financed.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Poland and Germany should expand transport routes between the two countries, as this was also important for the military.

"They are a key issue, not only for economic development and for the mobility of citizens and residents from both countries, but also when it comes to military mobility, one of the prerequisites for ensuring common security," Scholz said during his visit to Warsaw.

Berlin has announced its intention to reinforce NATO's eastern flank amid Russia's war in Ukraine.

A German-Polish action plan seen by the Reuters news agency said it aimed to reinforce the alliance along the eastern flank as well as provide additional assistance to Ukraine, including on repairing and maintaining Leopard 2 tanks.

"We will endeavour to ensure transatlantic political unity
and an optimal military presence of the North American allies in Europe, including the eastern flank," the text said, according to Reuters.

Politicians from the opposition nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS) criticized Prime Minister Donald Tusk for his meeting with Scholz, accusing the Polish leader of representing German interests.

The reactions were in response to a post by Tusk on the platform X, formerly Twitter, in which he said: "Today Europe needs strong leadership and a common position on security questions. Welcome to Warsaw, chancellor."

PiS lawmaker and former Minister for European Affairs Szymon Szykowski vel Sek claimed that the post amounted to an admission that Tusk's government supports "German leadership" of the EU.

"That honest about the expectation of strong German leadership in the EU? Still, it's a surprise..." he said.

Piotr Muller, who served as a government spokesperson under former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and is currently a member of the EU parliament, echoed the comment in an X post.

"We thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for the moment of honesty. Although Poles had thus far not doubted that the leadership of Germany is the most important thing for you," he said.

In the run up to the October 2023 parliamentary election PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski accused Tusk of being a "German agent" and claimed Berlin was aspiring to "global power" status.

The talks come as EU member states face increasing security challenges linked to the war in Ukraine.

Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung daily reported on Monday that Berlin would propose a package that will include support for supporting Poland's eastern border.

Poland borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad as well as Moscow ally Belarus.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marek Prawda told the Reuters news agency that Warsaw and Berlin would discuss increasing the EU's military capabilities 

"Because we have a geopolitical turn in the world, the EU is no longer a factory of rules, but is becoming a community of fate, and we have to respond to this change with at least some policy of increasing military capabilities," he said.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has been a vocal proponent of common EU financing for defense projects.

Today's meeting on German-Polish consultations comes several months after the conservative nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS) was ousted from government by a coalition of centrist and center-left parties in October 2023.

PiS had governed for eight years in a period characterized by heightened tensions with Brussels over the rule of law. Current Prime Minister Donald Tusk of the centrist Civic Coalition (PO) has pledged to cooperate with Brussels and has advocated for a "stronger and more sovereign" EU.

Poland's government under PiS was vehemently apposed to EU plans to redistribute arriving refugees evenly throughout the bloc, while Prime Minister Donald Tusk has vowed to assume joint responsability for the migrant issue.

PiS has also in the past made use of anti-German rhetoric in its electoral campaigns, with party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski labeling Tusk a "German agent."

During Scholz's visit, Germany is expected to present a financial package that could include compensation payments for living Polish victims of Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland from 1939 to 1945.

Funds will also be provided to the German-Polish House in Berlin, which intends to commemorate the shared history of the two countries and create a remembrance for Polish victims of World War II.

Polish governments under both right-wing and centrist parties have long requested that Germany give Poland reparations for the Nazi occupation period. Berlin has argued that the matter was resolved in 1953, when Poland renounced claims against East Germany.

At the start of the year, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski renewed Warsaw's calls for financial compensation from Germany for World War II loses. Poland's claim was then reiterated by Prime Minister Donald Tusk during his first official visit to Berlin.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Warsaw for a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

These are the first government consultations between Germany and its eastern neighbor since 2018.

Scholz's delegation included 12 federal and state ministers.

Germany and Poland are expected to agree upon an action plan including several joint projects.

sdi/fb, msh (AFP, dpa, Reuters)