Berlin hosts German-Polish cabinet talks – DW – 12/01/2025

According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), last year, 2024, was a bumper year for arms manufacturers, especially in Germany.

German arms companies saw the largest increase, reaching 36%, right behind Japanese companies.

“Almost all of this is linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” said SIPRI author Nan Tian.

“There has been an increase in demand from the German armed forces. Whether it’s Rhinemetal or Diehl, building tanks, armored personnel carriers, ammunition, of course, for the German armed forces to replenish what they have sent to Ukraine as military aid, but also to expand the number of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, etc.”

Read the full story on how the Ukraine war has boosted arms industry profits.

German forces stationed in Poland reportedly joined the Polish response after Russian MiG-31 jets were detected flying towards the border on Friday.

According to the German newspaper, Polish jets were deployed and two German Patriot air defense systems were activated at Rzeszów Airport, accompanied by German air force troops. Picture.

“On Friday, there was activity in Russian airspace and air defense systems deployed in Poland, including two Air Force Patriot systems,” an Air Force spokesperson said. Picture,

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is bringing several of his cabinet members to Berlin on Monday for talks with their German counterparts.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to welcome the Polish delegation with military honors ahead of the afternoon talks.

The talks are expected to focus on support for Ukraine, the NATO alliance and regional security and economic ties between the EU’s two neighbors.

It is expected that after the talks both sides will sign a joint declaration.

Traveling to Paris and Warsaw shortly after becoming Chancellor in May, Merz stressed the importance of German relations with Poland. At the time, Tusk said he was “optimistic” about relations, but little has happened since then.

According to a recent poll cited by the German public broadcaster Tagesschau, Polish opinion of Germany has fallen to a 25-year low, with only a third expressing a favorable opinion of their neighbor and a quarter holding a negative opinion.

The far right in Poland has trumpeted distrust of Germany. Under the former right-wing PiS government, German–Polish intergovernmental negotiations were suspended.

The topic of German responsibility for Nazi crimes of World War II has also soured relations. Poland’s far-right President Karol Nawrocki has repeatedly demanded compensation, which has been rejected by Merz as well as German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

While Tusk’s centre-left government has stopped short of demanding compensation, it is still expected to receive a gesture towards survivors of the Nazi occupation.

Greetings From the newsroom in Bonn, where the Christmas markets are in full swing.

Today’s top story is expected to be inter-governmental talks between German and Polish ministers in Berlin, led by Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

And in case you missed it, our top news stories from Germany over the weekend were German Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer’s call on Sunday to include the safety of food production in future Bundeswehr exercises and mass protests against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s new youth organization on Saturday.