Translation from Mateusz Morawiecki Facebook page:
I am glad that the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has admitted that World War II's effects may influence today's political and economic decisions.
Poland has never received reparations - despite the terrible destruction at the hands of Nazi Germany. 6 million Polish citizens were murdered. More than 1,000 towns and villages were razed to the ground, including Poland's capital, Warsaw. The national property, including the priceless treasures of our heritage, have been stolen. It took Poland many decades to recover from this unimaginable collapse and tragedy.
We all remember the President of Germany's speech in Warsaw on the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the war. At that time, he said important words about memory, responsibility and forgiveness. He then said that he "stands barefoot in front of the Polish nation." However, today the most important thing is to stand up to the truth and name specific facts.
The truth is that Nord Stream 2 is the worst possible form of compensation. Its implementation will not settle any historical accounts - it will only improve the balance on the current bank accounts of this project's shareholders. To put it bluntly: it is an investment that damages European solidarity. It is a threat to the security of Europe and one of its largest neighbors - Ukraine. The construction of the pipeline means giving Russia another instrument of blackmail. This is evidence of the weakness, not the strength of European politics.
Building bridges between Europe and Russia cannot take place over the heads of Central and Eastern Europe. Otherwise, it is more like mining a bridge than strengthening it. This is a recipe for disaster, not rebuilding.
The burnt photo, razed to the ground district of Warsaw, which I attach to this post, symbolizes the German "achievements" in Poland occupied by them.