Poland provides the US with Soviet-designed fighter jets. These are expected to be passed to Ukraine via the US Army.
Poland has made its MiG-29 fighter jets available to the United States. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it was ready to deliver the aircraft immediately and free of charge to the US base in Ramstein in Rhineland-Palatinate. In return, the United States is expected to provide American fighter jets as compensation. The Polish government is also calling on other NATO allies that own MiG-29 jets to do the same, the statement said.
In the past few days there had already been reports that Poland wanted to make the fighter jets available directly to Ukraine. The Polish government objected. “Decisions on the delivery of offensive weapons must be made unanimously at NATO level,” said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Oslo on Tuesday evening. That is why Poland is now ready to transfer its machines to Ramstein. “But we are not prepared to take any steps alone,” says Morawiecki. Poland is not involved in the war in Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with CBS on Sunday that NATO countries would have the “green light” if they wanted to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine. However, he is in consultation with the Polish government on the subject. Accordingly, it is now expected that the US will equip Ukraine with the fighter jets from Poland.
The US Ministry reacted in the evening: Poland’s decision had not been discussed with the government in Washington in advance. Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said at a Senate hearing. After the meeting, she wanted to “see how we react to this proposal to give us the planes”.
Selenskyj repeatedly requested planes from the West
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously asked Ukraine’s Eastern European neighbors to provide Russian-made aircraft – for which his pilots are trained. “If you don’t at least provide us with airplanes so that we can protect ourselves, then you also want us to die a slow death,” he said in one of his emotional appeals to the western world. On Tuesday, too, he bitterly complained that the West was not keeping its “promises” and was not supplying combat aircraft.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had previously expressed reservations about the idea of supplying Polish MiG-29s to Ukraine. One must ensure that this war does not spread to NATO territory, Baerbock said in an interview with “Bild-TV”. Even with weapons deliveries, no steep template should be given for saying “we are taking part in the war,” said the Green politician.
Putin warned Western countries not to intervene
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned NATO against intervening in the war: In his speech on February 24th, in which he described the invasion of Ukraine, which he called a “military operation”, he spoke of the consequences “which you in your never experienced history” for anyone who would “interfere”.
In connection with the Ukrainian demands for a no-fly zone over the country, Putin said on Saturday: “Any movement in this direction will be considered by us as a participation of the respective country in an armed conflict”.
Both US President Joe Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz have so far categorically ruled out military intervention with their own troops.
