Poland Wants To Get World War II Reparations From Germany, Then From Russia - Official

Poland wants to make Germany pay World War II reparations, and, after achieving this goal, Warsaw may try to seek similar payments from Russia, Marcin Przydacz, the head of the presidential office's foreign policy bureau, said on Tuesday.

"We treat Berlin and Moscow in a different-civilization way. With Berlin, we believe we can start a dialogue but with Putin this is the other civilization. Once there will be a success with Germany, the next step could be to launch such a discussion with the other oppressor," Przydacz said in an interview with the Financial Times.

Poland argues the Soviet Union occupied part of its territory in 1939 and, after World War II, forcefully established a communist regime there, therefore, Russia, as its successor, is responsible for the alleged Soviet oppression.

In September, Poland announced that it would demand 6.2 trillion zloty (about $1.3 trillion) from Germany in reparations for the damage caused during World War II. Later, Poland turned to the US Congress, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the UN, the EU and NATO, and other 50 countries with an appeal to help get reparations from Germany.

The German government has repeatedly stated it will not pay reparations to Poland, since Warsaw has already received significant compensations and there was no ground to doubt its decision to waive its right to war reparations from 1953.