Poland and Slovakia to transfer MiG-29 planes to Ukraine; W.House still opposes move
by AFP Staff Writers
Warsaw (AFP) March 16, 2023

Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday said the EU member would deliver an initial batch of four Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine soon.

"In the coming days we will first transfer, if I remember correctly, four fully operational planes to Ukraine," Duda told reporters.

"Additional planes are currently in preparation, under maintenance, and will probably be transferred successively," he added.

"We can therefore say that we are on the verge of sending these MiGs to Ukraine," he said, adding that Poland currently has a dozen or so MiG planes that it inherited from the former German Democratic Republic.

"These MiGs are still in service in Poland's air force. They're in their last years of operation but are still for the most part in full working order," Duda said.

The MiGs transferred to Ukraine will be replaced at home with South Korean FA-50 planes bought by Poland, followed by American F-35s.

Earlier Thursday, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak had said Poland wanted to transfer MiG-29 planes to Ukraine "within the framework of a larger coalition of countries".

Asked about the countries in this coalition, Blaszczak mentioned Slovakia but added "of course we are open to others."

"We absolutely want to conduct our activity within the framework of a coalition," he added.

Last year, Poland's neighbour Slovakia had said it was willing to discuss sending MiG-29 planes to help replace losses to Ukraine's current stocks.

However no final decisions have since been made.

Duda made the Polish announcement following talks with visiting Czech counterpart Petr Pavel, who is a former NATO general.

The president's comments came after his defence minister had earlier said that Polish counterintelligence had dismantled a Russian spy ring.

Blaszczak told Polish public radio that it was an "espionage group... collecting information for those who attacked Ukraine".

Slovakia to donate 13 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine
Bratislava (AFP) March 17, 2023 - Slovakia will donate 13 MiG-29 warplanes to Ukraine, the Slovak prime minister said Friday, making it the second NATO member to announce such a shipment following a similar move by Poland.

"We will hand over 13 of our MiG-29 jets to Ukraine," Slovak premier Eduard Heger told journalists, adding that Bratislava would also deliver a Kub air defence system to Ukraine.

Ukraine has long requested fighter jets from Western allies, although seeking primarily modern US-made F-16s.

"Our steps are fully coordinated with Poland and Ukraine," Heger said, adding that his government "stands on the right side of history".

The Kremlin in response on Friday said the fighter jets given to Ukraine by Poland and Slovakia would be destroyed, and repeated that Western arms deliveries to Kyiv would not change Russia's military aims.

"The supply of this military equipment -- as we have repeatedly said -- will not change the outcome of the special military operation... Of course, all this equipment will be destroyed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, using the official term for Moscow's military intervention.

Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday announced that Warsaw would send four Soviet-made MiG-29 jets to Ukraine "in the coming days".

Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said the transfer of MiGs from Slovakia to Kyiv will take "a couple of weeks".

The Slovak batch will include 10 operational MiG-29 fighter jets and an additional three that have not been operational since 2008.

Slovakia also has one other Mig-29 that will be placed in a military museum at home.

Slovakia plans to replace the jets with American F-16s. The changeover should take place no later than January 2024.

Polish MiGs to Ukraine 'does not change' US opposition to sending jets: W.House
Washington (AFP) March 16, 2023 - Poland's move to become the first country to send MiG-29 warplanes to Ukraine does not alter the US decision against sending its own fighter aircraft to Kyiv, the White House said Thursday.

"It doesn't change our calculus with regards to F16s," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, referring to the US-built fighter jet. Poland's move "does not affect, does not change" that.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking to reporters on a visit to Niger, alluded to the heavy costs of US fighter jets.

"I think it's a mistake to get focused on any particular weapons system at any given time," Blinken said.

He said it was important "not only making sure that the Ukrainians have the right weapons system but that they can use it."

"So depending on the system, that might require significant training" or maintenance, Blinken said.

"Different countries are doing different things in response to what they have and to what the perceived needs are."

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