Poland: NATO countries must work together to supply fighters to Ukraine

Any supply of fighter jets to Ukraine must be done through NATO, senior Polish officials said today, following Washington’s rejection of Poland’s offer to transport all MiG-29 jets it has at a US air base to be delivered to Kyiv.

Ukraine has asked Western countries to provide it with fighter jets to counter the Russian invasion, which has caused at least two million refugees to flee the country, and US lawmakers have responded by urging President Joe Biden’s government to facilitate the transfer of aircraft.

Yesterday, Tuesday, Poland said it was ready to deploy all its MiG-29s at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany and make them available to the United States, urging other NATO members to do the same. The Pentagon later rejected the offer, saying it could not be backed.

“The United States does not want these planes to come to Ukraine from US bases,” Jacob Kumoch, the Polish president’s foreign affairs adviser, told the public broadcaster TNP Info. “Poland is ready to take action, but only within the framework of the alliance, within the framework of NATO.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also repeatedly called on the West to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, but the United States and its NATO allies have rejected the calls for fear of a direct confrontation with Moscow.

Russia’s Defense Ministry has warned that countries offering military airfields to Ukraine for attacks against Russia could be seen as embroiled in conflict.

Deputy Foreign Minister Pavel Jablonski told Polskie Radio 1 that Poland should prioritize its security when considering the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine.

“Poland – the only NATO member – can not take the risk, and other countries should not compensate or share it with us in any way,” he said.

The MiG-29 is a fighter aircraft built in the Soviet Union, and as the Ukrainian Air Force already uses Russian-made aircraft, it is the best choice for Ukrainian pilots who already know how to operate them, according to experts. The training of combat pilots in American-made aircraft can take years and their maintenance has different requirements.

Source: AMPE

Source: Capital

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