Poland to seek US help with WWII compensation from Germany

Warsaw, Jan 11 (IANS) Poland will seek help from the US in its pursuit to claim World War II reparations from Germany, Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk said here.

Last September, the Polish government had presented a comprehensive report detailing the material losses suffered by the country during WWII, along with a pledge to demand reparations from Germany amounting to 1.3 trillion euros, reports Xinhua news agency.

However, the German government said the reparations issue was already closed.

Poland has since sent diplomatic notes to Germany, as well as its EU and NATO allies, to drum up support for its case.

Mularczyk told a press conference on Tuesday that the Polish government's next move, aimed at making the war reparation claim an international topic, will be to turn to the US.

He said he is counting on Washington's support on "the issue of Poland's claiming compensation for the effects of World War II".

Some 6 million Poles, including roughly 3 million Polish Jews, were killed during the war and Warsaw was razed to the ground following a 1944 uprising in which about 200,000 civilians died.

Germany's September 1, 1939 invasion of Poland is now broadly perceived as the start of what would become the World War II.

Poland was also invaded by the Soviet Union from the east roughly two weeks later.