Poland, NATO in talks over MiG-29 fighter jets transfer to Ukraine

Poland and NATO are holding intensive talks about transferring MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced following a meeting of NATO's foreign ministers in Brussels.

Sikorski stated that these discussions, involving the alliance’s military leadership, are ongoing, Caliber.Az reports referring to foreign media.

He added that Poland is carefully considering the situation, and the transfer remains a subject of these talks.

Earlier, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak stated that Poland did not plan to include MiG-29s in the military aid packages already being prepared for Ukraine. This came after Polish President Andrzej Duda expressed concerns about the transfer, stating that Poland would not send the MiG-29s until it received "absolute guarantees" from NATO regarding the protection of Polish airspace.

Duda emphasized the importance of ensuring Poland’s security before considering the transfer of the jets. "Until we have absolute guarantees of NATO's airspace protection, we will not be able to hand over our aircraft," Duda said in a statement after talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw.

Duda also suggested that US military bases in countries unsatisfied with their locations be relocated to Poland, noting that about 10,000 US troops are stationed in the country. He reiterated Poland's view of the United States as a key security guarantor. Additionally, Poland has recently opened a US missile defence base in Redzikowo, located 165 kilometres from the Russian border, as part of efforts to bolster its defence infrastructure.

In July, Poland and Ukraine signed an agreement on long-term defence and security cooperation. As part of this agreement, Poland undertook to consider sending additional MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. However, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that the transfer would not be possible without the support of NATO allies.

This situation follows Poland's pledge to Ukraine, made earlier in the year, to transfer an additional squadron of MiG-29 jets, or approximately 14 fighter jets, to Kyiv, contingent upon NATO's involvement in the process.

By Tamilla Hasanova