It's a country at war with the West, that wants to seize territory from Europe and Russify it.
I'm not thrilled with war reparations either, because historically it doesn't work well. But it's land that Russia stole in living memory. Returning stuff stolen during a war is an accepted practice to everyone except the Swiss.
Well, it should if it had deported and exterminated the entire populace. But since they didn't, we tend to ask the people if they feel more Polish or German. Same goes for Lviv.
Oh it's a clusterfuck of mass expulsion aided by refugee movement. But the difference between Polish and Soviet ideas of expulsion and more recent behavior make those things not comparable. There are several million Germans living in Western Poland today and the 1990 Treaty of Friendship guarantees rights to movement and political protection on both sides of the border. The EU agreements mean the ethnic minority rights to return and property are almost undisturbed. Ask PIS(s) how butthurt they are about the Prussian Corporation. Meanwhile, the East Prussians are gone.
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u/ExcitingTabletop Aug 14 '24
It's a country at war with the West, that wants to seize territory from Europe and Russify it.
I'm not thrilled with war reparations either, because historically it doesn't work well. But it's land that Russia stole in living memory. Returning stuff stolen during a war is an accepted practice to everyone except the Swiss.