World leaders meet in Warsaw to commemorate WWII anniversary
A military ceremony in one of Warsaw's central squares set the stage for solemn speeches from Polish President Andrzej Duda, his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier as well as US Vice President Mike Pence.
In his speech, the Polish president focused on the immense suffering Polish citizens of all nationalities were subjected to during World War II, commemorating those who fought in the war and the need to preserve a living memory of the war.
Poland lost some 6 million citizens in the war, including some 3 million Polish Jews. The country's elites were deliberately targeted by the Nazi occupiers.
Duda warned of the threat of resurfacing imperialism and leniency towards countries breaking international law today. Though the word "Russia" did not feature in his speech, the president left little doubt he supported a tough stance towards Poland's neighbour.
"This is my appeal: business as usual and turning a blind eye is not a recipe for peace. It is a simple way to embolden aggressive personalities and [is] de-facto providing consent for further attacks," he said.
President Steinmeier advocated in favour of transatlantic unity, while Pence called upon the country's allies to fulfil their security commitments, echoing earlier US demands that NATO members meet their pledge to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence.
At the end of the ceremony the heads of the participating delegations, including the presidents of several Central and Eastern European states, rang a symbolic "bell of peace," produced especially for the occasion.
Later the officials gathered for a state dinner hosted by Duda at the Royal Castle, itself rebuilt after being destroyed by German bombs in September 1939.
Prior to the main commemorations in Warsaw, presidents Duda and Steinmeier visited Wielun, the first city to be bombarded by the Luftwaffe 80 years ago.
In an atmosphere of reconciliation between the two NATO allies, the officials recalled the tragic events in which 1,200 inhabitants of the defenceless city perished.
Steinmeier asked, in German and in Polish, for forgiveness for the atrocities committed by his compatriots in Poland and said that Germany holds a lasting responsibility for committing them.
Duda thanked his counterpart for his presence in the city, which would help raise awareness among Germans of the war crime that was the Wielun bombing.
The presence of the German president in Wielun is a form of "moral compensation" and facing the difficult historical truth "has the power to bring forgiveness and the power of building friendships," the Polish president said in Wielun.
Neither politician mentioned the topic of war reparations, which has regained traction in recent months.
The topic, however, was hinted at by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who participated in a memorial service at Westerplatte, another site of a German attack on September 1, 1939.
In the presence of, among others, deputy head of the European Commission Frans Timmermans and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Morawiecki said that Poland needs to demand compensation for the losses it incurred during World War II.
"We need to speak about these losses ... We need to demand truth and we need to demand compensation," the Polish Press Agency cited Morawiecki as saying.
According to the German government, Poland has already foregone its right to reparations and the issue is legally closed. However, Poland cannot consider that topic closed, recent comments from the country's top officials indicated.
The prime minister also said that in the war Poland was defending fundamental European values, such as freedom and the dignity of humankind.
