Warsaw: A Polish historical institution has embarked on a new initiative to document the losses inflicted by Soviet military aggression and the subsequent domination following World War II. This initiative could potentially rekindle discussions about reparations from Russia, as reported by media outlets on Thursday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Institute of War Losses has started cataloging the damage Poland suffered due to the USSR's aggression in September 1939, the permanent seizure of Poland's pre-war eastern provinces, and the long-term economic and social impacts of Soviet domination in the post-war period. The Institute's Director, Bartosz Gondek, shared these details with the Rzeczpospolita newspaper.
Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski emphasized that Warsaw has never considered the issue of compensation settled. He stated that the Polish government has never recognized the settlement of war reparations for the personal and material losses resulting from the USSR's aggression against Poland and Stalinist crimes. Bartoszewski added that this matter has been repeatedly raised with Moscow, albeit without success.
The renewed focus on this issue comes amid Poland's ongoing efforts to seek reparations from Germany for World War II losses. In 2022, Warsaw presented Berlin with a claim amounting to £1.4 trillion, a move that strained diplomatic relations.
Historians involved in the new project have indicated that the research is expected to span several years. Gondek mentioned that the Eastern Report's preparation is a multi-year endeavor, given the issue's broad and complex nature. He noted that Russian archives remain inaccessible and many documents were either destroyed or concealed during the Soviet era.
The Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east on September 17, 1939, just weeks after Nazi Germany's attack from the west, which triggered World War II. Post-war, Poland came under Moscow's political control and lost its eastern territories, known as the Kresy, now largely situated in Lithuania, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Gondek stated that the initiative aims to address a long-ignored chapter of Polish history. He remarked that by recognizing the legitimacy of the Institute's work, the authorities are signaling the need to address this neglected part of Poland's past and to seek accountability not only from Germany but also from the legal and political successors of the USSR.