Poland has opposed Germany gaining a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Polish defence minister Mariusz Blaszczak disclosed this on Thursday.

The proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is “rather strange and a great disappointment” from Poland’s point of view, Mr Blaszczak stated.

The Polish minister pointed out that Ukraine seems to have forgotten that Germany did not initially come to Ukraine’s aid at the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Mr Blaszczak said Germany should first take responsibility in its relationship with Poland for the destruction caused during World War II.

“The demand for war reparations that we made to Germany is still valid,” Mr Blaszczak said.

On Wednesday, Mr Zelensky spoke out in favour of a permanent seat on the UN Security Council for Germany.

There are 193 UN member-states.

Five countries – the U.S., China, Russia, Britain and France – have permanent seats on the Security Council and can veto all decisions.

There are then 10 non-permanent members elected to two-year terms.

In October 2022, Poland’s national conservative PiS government demanded Berlin to pay $1.38 trillion in World War II reparations in a diplomatic note.

However, Germany rejected any demands for reparations, considering the case closed due to the 1990 Two Plus Four Treaty, which regulated the foreign policy aspects of German unity. 

(dpa/NAN)