President of the Republic of Poland Karol Nawrocki met on Tuesday with German President Frank Steinmeier, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron. In the evening, he summarised the talks, admitting that most of them concerned security.
“Quite naturally, the majority of discussions with all three of today’s interlocutors related to security issues, those of Poland and of NATO’s entire eastern flank. We discussed allied assistance. I also thanked our partners, both German and French, for their swift reaction, a reaction that gave the impression, after September 10, that the North Atlantic Alliance is functioning and acting. Therefore, we referred to how our cooperation looks in terms of the security of NATO’s entire eastern flank and of the Alliance as a whole,”
he said during a press briefing at the Polish embassy.
The president conveyed that during talks in Germany, trade relations between Poland and its neighbours were also discussed. He added that he had shared his views on European Union policy.
“I am pleased that among German elites, and indeed in the words of the Chancellor himself, climate policy, which is criticised in Poland and which I am safeguarding against, is also recognised by the Chancellor as problematic, that not everything in Western Europe, in Germany itself, went in the direction it should have,”
he said.
What about reparations?
Nawrocki emphasised that the subject of reparations was also raised during the meetings in Berlin.
“I am the voice of Poles, and this issue interests the Polish nation. I am also an advocate of Germany paying reparations to Poland. I suggested that we could move toward a solution involving financing of the Polish arms industry and military capabilities. On one hand, this would mark the beginning of what would certainly be a long process, it is not yet a ready-made recipe, but it is a proposal: that Germany could begin to repay reparations by building up the strength of the Polish army and military potential, while at the same time reinforcing what we all care about, NATO’s eastern flank, which is the border region of the ongoing war, especially after September 10,”
he explained.
“I am convinced that this discussion and the reopening of the issue of reparations for Poland will not harm good relations with Germany. After these talks, I firmly believe it will not affect our trade, economic relations, or cooperation in international formats. At the same time, it remains an issue that is important to me as the Polish president and important to Poles. We should open this discussion, and I consider it open,”
he stressed.
He added that he had the impression that if there were synergy of political views and unity among all political circles in Poland on the reparations issue, then “the unity of Poles in fulfilling our commitments on reparations” would mean that, “in dialogue with Germany, they could indeed be achieved.” He appealed to Poles for such unity.
Talks in France
Nawrocki reported that during his conversation with Emmanuel Macron, the issue of security was also raised. He thanked the French president for sending fighter jets to Poland after Russian drones violated Polish airspace. However, the discussion also largely concerned European Union policy.
“I shared my perspective and my position regarding certain mistakes made by Western Europe in climate policy and migration policy,” he said. He declared that the agreement with the Mercosur countries had also been discussed.
“France and the president himself also have many doubts about this agreement. The voices of French farmers are reaching the president. This was the longest part of our conversation, touching on substantive issues, including the sanctions package, because […] signing an EU agreement with the Mercosur countries would also mean supporting, on the one hand, the Russian Federation, and on the other, Belarus, in delivering fertilizers to South America,” the Polish president said, adding that this was “a certain inconsistency on the part of EU countries in this area.”
Summing up Tuesday’s talks, he stated:
“I believe it was a fruitful day of dialogue and discussions with our German and French partners on issues that unite us. There are many such issues where we share the same direction of thinking, but also issues that divide us, which will be the subject of our next meetings and discussions, and which we simply need to resolve as partners within the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance.”