Greece claims €278bn in WWII reparations from Germany

Greece has obtained “stunning evidence” to support its massive claims for Second World War reparations from Germany, the country’s defence minister said.

Panos Kammenos, in remarks made at the ministry yesterday and published today, said Greece had obtained records held by the US military that review the extent of damage to private and public property during the Nazi occupation.

On Sunday, deputy finance minister Dimitris Mardas told a parliament committee that private and state reparation claims from Greece were worth a staggering €278.7bn.

Germany said it has already settled its reparations to Greece in a post-war agreement.

The current spat over reparations has added to tensions between the two countries over Greece’s troubled bailout repayments.