Polish president urges Germany to pay WWII reparations to help fund Poland's military

Nawrocki made the remarks at Westerplatte in Gdańsk during commemorations marking the 87th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II on September 1.

He called on the German chancellor to resolve the long-running dispute over reparations, framing compensation not only as a matter of historical justice but also as an investment in Europe's current security.

“The world has put us in a situation where a real, firm declaration of alliance toward Poland requires our allies and neighbors in Berlin to pay us compensation, which Poland will allocate to its armed forces,” Nawrocki said.

He argued that such funding could reduce Poland's need to rely on Western loans while helping strengthen what he described as the country's role as NATO's “fortress in the east.”

Nawrocki also criticized Germany over what he described as insufficient recognition of Polish suffering during World War II.

“This is not a real alliance and real friendship if we cannot erect a monument to Polish victims of World War II in Berlin,” he said.

The Polish president also argued that German hostility toward Poland predated Adolf Hitler, citing anti-Polish attitudes among German writers in the 19th century and during the Weimar Republic.

Poland's former Law and Justice-led government previously demanded about €1.3 trillion in reparations from Germany for losses suffered during World War II.

Berlin has repeatedly rejected the demand, maintaining that the issue of reparations has been legally settled and that there is no basis for further claims.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, beginning World War II in Europe. Westerplatte, where Polish troops resisted a German attack for seven days, became one of the best-known symbols of the country's defense against the invasion.