No foreign leaders to attend 85th anniversary of World War II outbreak in Poland
Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that no foreign leaders will attend the upcoming 85th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II.
Poland’s Westerplatte monument.Jakub Strzelczyk, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
The commemorations, traditionally held on September 1 at Westerplatte and Wieluń, will proceed without the presence of heads of state, government leaders, or foreign ministers.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs obtained by Polish Radio’s IAR newswire, there will be no foreign guests at the level of head of state, government, or foreign ministry during the anniversary celebrations.
This stands in contrast to recent commemorations, such as the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, which saw the attendance of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in late July and early August.
Additionally, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Warsaw in early July for intergovernmental consultations, marking another instance of high-level German participation in commemorative events.
German leaders have consistently acknowledged the historical guilt of Nazi Germany during these visits, often accompanied by requests for forgiveness. However, unresolved issues regarding German compensation for wartime atrocities and the destruction of Polish property continue to be a point of contention between the two nations.
In 2019, the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II saw the attendance of President Steinmeier and then-Chancellor Angela Merkel at ceremonies in Poland. Over 40 foreign delegations were present in Warsaw to commemorate the event, highlighting the significance of the occasion on the international stage.
(jh)
Source: IAR
