Poland’s president has issued an “unequivocal” demand for reparations from Germany on the 86th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II in Europe. 

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President Karol Nawrocki joined other top Polish officials, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk, at a commemoration ceremony on the Westerplatte peninsula in the early hours of Monday morning. 
Germany’s invasion of Poland—which led to the deadly global conflict—begun with an attack on a Polish military facility at Westerplatte, a strip of land in Gdańsk harbor, at 4:45 am on September 1, 1939. 
Speaking in the shadow of the giant monument built in honor of those who resisted the attack, Nawrocki said reparations would reset the foundations of Polish-German relations. 
“In order to build a partnership built on truth and good relations, we must deal with the issue of reparations from the German state which, as Polish president, I unequivocally demand, for the common good,” he said. 
“Reparations are not an alternative to historical amnesia,” he continued. “Poland, as a frontline state, as the most important country on the eastern flank of NATO, needs justice and truth and clear relations with Germany, but we also need reparations from the German state.” 
Nawrocki echoes predecessor 
Polish politicians, largely from conservative and nationalist factions, have long demanded compensation from Germany for its actions against Poland in WWII. 
The previous Law and Justice (PiS) government called for 6 trillion złoty (€1.4 trillion) from Poland’s western neighbors. Nawrocki, who is backed by PiS, promised during his election campaign this summer that he would “fight for justice for six million murdered Poles from day one.” 
His comments at Westerplatte echo those made by his predecessor Andrzej Duda at the same ceremony last year. 
‘Know who our enemies are’ – Tusk 
PM Tusk, whose centrist coalition government has clashed with Nawrocki during the opening weeks of his presidency, emphasized that Poland must be united and ready to work with its allies so that “no one from any part of the world will ever again think of attacking our homeland.” 
In contrast to the president, Tusk—a staunch backer of Ukraine in its war with Russia—focused on present-day challenges, arguing that Poland needed to be clear on who its enemies are. 
He mentioned the importance of NATO and European countries as a key partners for Poles in a fraught geopolitical context where governments across the continent are warning of an increasing threat from Moscow. 
“We must be clever and understand who are our enemies and who are our allies,” Tusk said. “We must properly understand where this great threat comes from today and with whom we should unite in the effort to defend Poland, the entire Western world and our civilization, the civilization of freedom.” 
He added that political isolation led to the German invasion in 1939. “There is no option other than good political choices,” he said. “Poland must never again be alone. Poland must never again be weak.” 

Nawrocki to visit Wieluń 

The early-morning commemorations at Westerplatte were also attended by Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and parliament speaker Szymon Hołownia. 
Later on Monday, President Nawrocki will visit the town of Wieluń, the first civilian target attacked by the German air force during its invasion of Poland. Around 1,200 people were killed in the bombings as the town, now located in central Poland, was struck by the Luftwaffe five minutes prior to the naval assault on Westerplatte. 
Those who resisted the invasion are widely regarded as national heroes in Poland. A small garrison stationed on Westerplatte fought off fierce German attacks from land, sea and the air until September 7, 1939. 

Original article :

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