Poland is ready to deploy all of its MiG-29 jets to Ukraine in return for the F-16 Jets of the United States.
Poland’s government announced that it is ready to deploy its fighter planes to the US to be transferred to Ukrainian pilots to use in the war against Russia, a significant move towards a possible deal. The US, meanwhile, called it “a surprise move” by the Polish government.
The US has been negotiating a deal with Poland around the jets for the past week but is treading carefully to avoid Russia viewing it as NATO provoking a war beyond Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it was ready to deploy immediately and “free of charge” all its MIG-29 jets. Polish officials and the president are prepared to place the jets at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America.
All of Poland’s MiG-29 jets will subsequently be deployed to the Ramstein Air Base, a site owned by the US, located in Rhineland Palatinate in southwestern Germany.
A statement released onto its website reads: “The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations between the President and the Government, Poland are ready to deploy immediately and free of charge all their MIG-29 jets to the Ramstein Air Base and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America”.point 568 | 1
“However, it explained that at the same time, the country requests the United States to provide it with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities. Poland is ready to immediately establish the conditions of purchase of the planes.”
It has also called on the US to send F-16 fighters to replace any Soviet-era MiGs it supplies to Kyiv. Russia has warned it will be at war with any country providing planes after the US gave NATO allies the green light to supply aircraft to President Zelenskyy’s forces.
However, the Pentagon has rejected the offer. Spokesman John Kirby said it would mean jets departing from a NATO base would have to fly into airspace contested with Russia.
Spokesman Kirby said: “We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one.”
Meanwhile, the US confirmed earlier that it will be sending two patriot surface-to-air missile batteries to Poland. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, said the two countries are working on a deal at the weekend.
He told CBS’s Face the Nation: “That gets a green light. In fact, we’re talking with our Polish friends right now about what we might be able to do to backfill their needs if, in fact, they choose to provide these fighter jets to the Ukrainians.”
“What can we do? How can we help to make sure that they get something to backfill the planes that they are handing over to the Ukrainians?”, he added.
The Polish MiGs were upgraded in 2013 and 2014 with new avionics and other equipment to increase their lifespan, though the Polish air force has focused more on its growing F-16 fleet, along with its 32 inbound F-35s, the first of which will arrive in 2024. Some of the new, sensitive technologies installed on the MiGs would likely have to be pulled out before transferring to the Ukrainians.
A senior Defense Department official told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday that the airspace over Ukraine is still contested, with neither the Ukrainians nor the Russians owning the sky.
The official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss current operations said: “The Ukrainians are still able to fly and to conduct missile defense.point 418 |
The Russians continue to fly and also are capable of missile defense.point 58 | Very little of the nation of Ukraine is not covered by some sort of Russian surface-to-air missile capability.point 151 | ”point 154 | 1
Other countries that operate the MiG-29 include Slovakia and Bulgaria, though both countries last week rejected the idea of transferring their aircraft.
Slovakia’s small fleet of MiG-29s are the country’s only fighter jets, and the government is uneasy about losing any of its air power until it wraps up an agreement with Poland to provide protection of Slovak airspace.